As the summer nears its end, various berries, currants and other fruits emerge, providing a feast for birds and other critters. One such berry that I have been seeing lately is the grouse whortleberry, Vaccinium scoparium. Also known as grouseberry, broom huckleberry or littleleaf huckleberry, this very small, mat-like shrub is an appealing addition to the undergrowth of subalpine forests throughout the west. This species is one of the most abundant subalpine shrubs in the Rocky Mountains, but it is easily overlooked because of its diminutive stature. I have yet to be able to get a photo of the pink bell flowers because they are so little and hidden!
The tiny leaves are cute, and the broom-like branches are recognizable even without leaves. I often think of this species as a smaller common bearberry, but I think the only real comparison is that they are both pretty, appealing shrubs that I often see as groundcover on beautiful hikes. Bearberry is evergreen, but grouseberry is a deciduous species whose leaves become yellow-tinged and drop.
This species has — surprisingly — an edible berry in the huckleberry family, but the fruits are so tiny that it would take a huge amount of effort to make a meal! Sometimes, on subalpine hikes when the berries are out and the day gets warm, the forest can take on a blueberry muffiny smell!
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