Common Name: Bog Bilberry

General Information

Vaccinium uliginosum is a low-growing but much-branched, deciduous shrub that can grow 50 - 100cm tall, though only 10 - 15cm tall in Alpine areas. Growing from a rhizomatous rootstock, the plant can form dense mats of growth or open, extensive colonies[, , ]
The berries are traditionally harvested in great quantities from the wild for use as a food, whilst the plant also has medicinal properties. It also has value for use in reclaiming polluted soils[].

Known Hazards

The fruit can cause headaches if they are eaten in large quantities[]. This is probably the result of infestation by a fungus[].

Botanical References

, ,

Range

Eurasia - Norway to Spain, east through northern Asia to Japan and Korea; N. America - Alaska to Newfoundland, south to California, Minnesota New York

Habitat

Bogs and moist copses in mountains and moorlands of northern Britain[, , ]. Wet or dry acidic sites in boreal taiga, tundras, and alpine thickets and krummholz; at elevations from sea level to 2,200 metres[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Deciduous Shrub
Height	0.75 m
Pollinators	Insects
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Requires a moist or wet lime free soil, preferring one that is rich in peat or a light loamy soil with added leaf-mould[, ]. Prefers a very acid soil with a pH in the range of 3.5 to 6.2, plants soon become chlorotic when lime is present[, , ]. Grows well in a bog garden[]. Succeeds in full sun or light shade though it fruits better in a sunny position[]. Requires shelter from strong winds[].
Mycorrhizal associations exist on the roots that allow for increased plant nitrogen levels. Bog bilberry also has a relatively high ratio of root biomass to shoot biomass. These adaptations are important for nutrient uptake in the cold, poorly aerated, nitrogen-poor soils characteristic of bog blueberry sites[].
Dislikes root disturbance, plants are best grown in pots until being planted out in their permanent positions[].
This species is closely allied to Vaccinium myrtillus[].
Plants in this genus are notably resistant to honey fungus[].

Edible Uses

Fruit - raw or cooked[, , , ]. Juicy and nutritious, with a sweet flavour[, ]. The fruit is cooked and used to make jams, jellies, pie fillings etc, and can also be dried and used like raisins[, ]. A reasonable source of vitamin C[]. The blue berries are around 6 - 8mm in diameter[].
Some caution is advised, see the notes above on toxicity.

A tea is made from the leaves and dried fruits[].

Medicinal

Antiseptic, astringent, carminative, hypnotic and hypoglycaemic[, ].
An infusion of the leaves and sugar have been given to a mother a few days after childbirth in order to help her regain her strength[].

The fruit contains tannins, anthocyanoside, and flavonoids. A cold infusion of the dried fruit is used in the treatment of mucous membrane inflammation of the gastric and intestinal tract; diarrhoea, and bladder complaints[]

Agroforestry Uses:

The plant is tolerant of high concentrations of heavy metals in the soil. Leaf tissues can accumulate uranium, copper, lead, zinc, nickel, and iron in large quantities with no apparent detrimental effects to the plant. The ability to inhabit soils with high concentrations of these metals may favour the use of bog blueberry in certain revegetation programs[].
It has been successful at naturally colonizing local seismic lines in the subarctic. It has also naturally colonized borrow pits in tundra regions of northwestern Canada and may be of use in managed reclamation projects[].

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed - sow late winter in a greenhouse in a lime-free potting mix and only just cover the seed[]. Stored seed might require a period of up to 3 months cold stratification[]. Another report says that it is best to sow the seed in a greenhouse as soon as it is ripe[]. Once they are about 5cm tall, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in a lightly shaded position in the greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts.
Cuttings of half-ripe wood, 5 - 8cm with a heel, August in a frame[]. Slow and difficult.
Layering in late summer or early autumn[]. Another report says that spring is the best time to layer[]. Takes 18 months[].
Division of suckers in spring or early autumn[].