Distribution: Widely distributed throughout forested and mountainous areas of Washington; British Columbia south to California, east the Rocky Mountains; Ontario and Michigan.
Habitat: Common in dry to moist coniferous forests and open areas, moderate to mid-elevations in the mountains.
Flowers: May-July
Origin: Native
Growth Duration: Perennial
Conservation Status: Not of concern
Deciduous spreading shrub 0.5-2 m. tall, the young twigs slightly angled, yellow-green, glabrous, the old bark grayish and shredding.
Leaves alternate, thin, ovate to elliptic-obovate, tapered and pointed at the tip and rounded-acute at the base, 2-5 cm. long, finely serrulate nearly full length, sparsely glandular and paler on the lower surfaces.
Flowers single in the axils on pedicels 5-10 mm. long, pale yellowish-pink, about 6 mm. long; calyx obscurely 5-lobed; corolla entire, broadly urn-shaped, longer than broad; anthers with dorsal awns and apical, pore-bearing tubes; ovary inferior.
Fruit a berry, blackish-purple or dark purplish-reddish, not glaucous, 7-9 mm. broad, broader than high.
PNW Herbaria: Specimen records of Vaccinium membranaceum in the Consortium of Pacific Northwest Herbaria database.
WA Flora Checklist: Vaccinium membranaceum checklist entry.
E-Flora BC: Vaccinium membranaceum atlas page.
CalPhotos: Vaccinium membranaceum photos.
USDA Plants: Vaccinium membranaceum information.