bog bilberry

Vaccinium uliginosum

The bog bilberry is a small shrub that grows in wet, cool places. It produces tasty blue berries that are loved by animals and people alike!

Habitat: Wetlands

Appearance

The bog bilberry is a small, upright shrub with distinctive bluish-green, oval leaves that turn red in autumn. It has small, urn-shaped flowers, typically pinkish-white, followed by round, dark blue berries covered in a pale, waxy bloom, making them look frosted.

KingdomPlantaePhylumTracheophytaClassMagnoliopsidaOrderEricalesFamilyEricaceaeGenusVaccinium

bog bilberry

Interesting facts

In autumn, its green leaves transform into brilliant shades of fiery red!

Its name comes from its favorite home: wet, spongy bogs!

The berries look frosted because they have a natural, waxy coating, just like some grapes!

Unlike blueberries, its berry flesh is pale or white inside, not blue!

Special abilities

Bog bilberry can thrive in very acidic, nutrient-poor bog soils that most plants cannot tolerate, helping it survive in harsh wetlands.

This plant has a network of underground stems called rhizomes that help it spread and stabilize in wet, loose bog ground.

Its dark blue berries are coated in a waxy bloom that helps protect them from drying out and makes them less appealing to some pests.

Measurements & details

Height: 10-70 cm
Spread: 20-50 cm
Flower Size: 0.4-0.6 cm
Bloom Season: Late spring to early summer
Edible: Yes
Toxicity: None
Lifecycle: Perennial
Pollination Method: Insect

Ecological connections

pollinates

European Bumblebee

Bombus terrestris

collects nectar and pollen

eats

Brown Bear

Ursus arctos

forages on its ripe berries

eats

Common Blackbird

Turdus merula

feeds on its nutritious berries

eats

Red Fox

Vulpes vulpes

includes berries in its omnivorous diet

Traits

Deciduous

Deciduous plants periodically shed all their leaves, typically during autumn or dry seasons.

Flowering

Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle.

Shrub

A shrub is a woody plant smaller than a tree, typically with multiple stems branching from or near the ground.

Fruit Bearing

Fruit-bearing plants produce fruits, which are the mature ovaries of flowering plants containing seeds.

Edible

Edible plants are those parts of a plant that are considered safe for human consumption.

Wetland

This habitat trait identifies species found in wetlands, which are areas of land saturated with water, either permanently or seasonally, including marshes, swamps, and bogs.