The leaves measure roughly 1/2 inch (1 cm.) wide by 1 inch (2.5 cm.) long and have distinctly serrated edges.

The shrub itself can grow to 12 feet (3.6 meters) easily able to grow over a manzanita and kill it by shading it to death. Requires a moist, well-drained, acidic soil, just the kind prepared by the earlier pioneering manzanita.

The shrub grows somewhat vertically until the weight of its own branches cause it to arch over. It is this ability to arch overhead that allows it to shade and kill other lower plants.

Bright or dark glossy-green leaves grew near the top. Note that the Huckleberry seeds sprout readily after mechanical or fire damage.

The interior branches were rough to the touch but springy, bending rather than breaking.

Here were the spring flowers (urn-shaped) in summer, partly turned into berries. The berries were used by Native American Tribes and are a good food source for birds that spread the plant's seeds in their droppings. Because of the animals this plant attracts, it is a good choice for the backyard garden.