Chinggumnamu
Vaccinium oldhamii
Family: Ericaceae
What it is like
A compact upright shrub. It loses its leaves during the year. It grows from 1-3 m tall. The older branches and slender and dark brown. The leaves are oval or curved and slightly pointed at the tip and base. They are 3-7 cm long by 2-4 cm wide. They are paler green underneath. There can be coarse hairs on the upper surface. The leaves turn bright red in autumn. The flowers are 3-5 mm long with downy flower stalks. The flowers occur as many together along stalks 4-6 cm long. These are at the ends of young shoots. The flowers are bell shaped and pale brown or red. The fruit are round berries 8 mm across. They are black.
Where it is found
It is a temperate plant. In north China it grows in thickets on mountain slopes between 200-700 m above sea level. It grows naturally in woods near the foot of mountains in Japan and Korea.
Countries/locations it is found in
Asia, China, Japan, Korea
How it is used for food
The fruit are eaten fresh and used for wine.
Edible parts
Fruit
How it is grown
Plants can be grown from seed or cuttings. Cuttings need to be rooted with high humidity.
Its other names
Local names
Jeonggeumnamu