Lingonberry
Vaccinium vitis-idaea
Family: Ericaceae
What it is like
A creeping low evergreen shrub. It forms mats. It grows 15 cm high and spreads 0.6-1.2 m wide. The leaves are small and oval. They are 5-20 mm long and 5 mm wide. They are deep green but have black spots underneath. The leaves turn bronze colour in autumn. The flowers are white or pink and bell shaped. They are in clusters. The fruit are bright red and juicy. They are 6-8 mm across. They are edible. There are several named cultivated varieties.
They have health benefits.
Where it is found
It is a cool temperate plant. They are found in forests near the Arctic. They need acidic soils. A pH of 4.5-5.0 is suitable. It grows on poor dry soil and on peat. It suits hardiness zones 2-8.
Countries/locations it is found in
Alaska, Albania, Arctic, Armenia, Asia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Balkans, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia, Britain, Bulgaria, Canada, Caucasus, Central Asia, China, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Europe, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greenland, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, Korea, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Mediterranean, Mongolia, Netherlands, North America, Norway, Poland, Romania, Russia, Scandinavia, Siberia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland, Tasmania, Turkey, Türkiye, Ukraine, United Kingdom, USA, Yugoslavia
How it is used for food
The fruit are used in preserves and pastries and as a sour sauce to accompany meat dishes. The fruit can be cooked with rose-hips and sugar to make jam. They are used for juice and to flavour yoghurt. The leaves are used for a tea drink.
It is popular in Scandinavian countries. It is becoming a commercial cultivated crop.
Edible parts
Fruit, leaves - tea, flowers
How it is grown
They can be grown from seed, rhizomes and cuttings. If runners are used they produce within 2 years. Stem cuttings of the firm current year's growth are used. They root easily in a mixture of peat and sand and humidity or mist is helpful. Plants are spaced about 45 cm apart.
A mature plant can produce 1 kg of berries.
Its other names
Local names
Airelle rouge, Alpine cranberry, Arandano rojo, Bagole rosse, Brushnitsa, Brusnica, Brusnika, Buoli, çalıçilek, Chervena borovinka, Cowberry, Foxberry, Gravelong, Hong dou yue ju, Kavirlit, Kitngiit, Kronsbeere, Lingon, Mirtillo rosso, Mountain cranberry, Palonka, Passiarkat, Pohl, Poolgas, Preiselbeere, Puola, Puolakka, Rock cranberry, Tunaglit, Tyttebaer, Vossenbes