Gaylussacia species are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species including Coleophora gaylussaciella (which feeds exclusively on Gaylussacia) and Coleophora multicristatella.
The larvae feed on a wide range of plants, including Vaccinium, Corylus (including Corylus americana), Opulaster, Betula, Gaylussacia, Hamamelis virginiana and Alnus rugasa var. americana.
Heath plants common to this ecology include mountain-laurel, Kalmia latifolia, various blueberries, genus Vaccinium, huckleberries, genus Gaylussacia, sourwood (or sorrel-tree), Oxydendron arboreum, and azaleas and rhododendrons, genus Rhododendron.