Vaccinium vitis-idaea

Vaccinium vitis-idaea (also known as lingonberry, partridgeberry, or cowberry) is a short evergreen shrub in the heath family that bears edible fruit, native to boreal forest and Arctic tundra throughout the Northern Hemisphere from Eurasia to North America.

Description

Vaccinium vitis-idaea is a small evergreen shrub 20–30 cm (7.9–11.8 in) high. It has leathery, dark green leaves, which are 1–2 cm long. The flowers are bell-shaped, white to pale pink, 3–8 mm long, and produced in the early summer.

Distribution

Vaccinium vitis-idaea is widely distributed in the Northern Hemisphere. It grows from sea level in the north of the range, up to 2,900 m altitude in the south of the range.

Uses

The berries are quite tart, so they are often cooked and sweetened before eating in the form of lingonberry jam, compote, juice, smoothie or syrup. The raw fruits are also frequently simply mashed with sugar, which preserves most of their nutrients and taste. This mix can be stored at room temperature in closed but not necessarily sealed containers.

See also

• Vaccinium
• Berry
• Boreal forest
• Arctic tundra

References

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