Blueberry

Blueberries in the Lake Louise and Banff area refer to several species in the genus Vaccinium; low shrubs that produce edible blue-black berries in subalpine and alpine zones. Common species include mountain huckleberry (V. membranaceum), grouseberry (V. scoparium), and dwarf bilberry (V. cespitosum). They thrive in open forests, meadows, and rocky slopes above the montane zone.

Identification: Small deciduous or semi-evergreen shrubs; white to pink urn-shaped flowers in spring; blue to black berries in late summer. Leaves vary by species; grouseberry has tiny leaves; mountain huckleberry has larger, thin leaves. The berries are a key food source for bears, birds, and small mammals, and are harvested by people for eating fresh or in preserves.

Habitat: Subalpine and alpine meadows, open lodgepole pine and spruce forest, and disturbed or burned areas. Often found alongside bearberry and other heath-family plants in the Bow Valley and around Lake Louise.

The resort’s Blueberry run on the Front Side is named after these alpine berries.