Fun Fact #377 Huckleberry

 Fun Fact #377

Haunt of the Huckleberry

Growing up one of my favorite books was Huckleberry Finn but did you know that Huckleberries actually exist with 4 different varieties in the US (Red ranges from Central California to southern Canada, two along the Mississippi, and one through the Application Mountains). They are small berries commonly mistaken for blueberries even being misidentified by grocers on multiple occasions which still happens fairly regularly. The key difference is Blueberries have small, soft seeds with green, yellow or white interiors while Huckleberries have larger hard seeds with blue or black interiors.  

They also are surprisingly adept at surviving harsh conditions being some of the only plants left growing on the slopes of Mt. Saint Helens after the Volcano erupted in 1980. Yet despite its hardy nature the darn thing refuses to be cultivated as its shallow roots will often fail when closely packed together. Today Huckleberries are the state fruit of Idaho and Montana. 

Also Huckleberry Finn was based on Mark Twain’s boyhood friend Tom Blankenship, from Hannibal Missouri, who was known for his easygoing nature but a hard worker when he put his mind to it.