Leaf
Michel Pansiot, Tela Botanica · CC BY-SA 2.0
Bilberry
Vaccinium myrtillus L.
Also known as: European blueberry, Whortleberry, Blaeberry
Family: Ericaceae
0.2 to 0.5 m tall
Mountain heaths and woodland, acid soils
Flowering: April – June
Full sun
Part shade
Very hardy, to -40°C
❓ How do you recognise this plant?
Green, angular stems that themselves take part in photosynthesis. Wild bilberry has small blue-black fruits with purple flesh and angular twigs; the cultivated highbush blueberry has much larger berries with pale flesh, on a taller, more upright shrub.
🍃 Leaves
Small, ovate, finely toothed, deciduous, bright green
🌸 Flowers
Small solitary pinkish bells
🍎 Fruits
Small blue-black berries covered with a waxy bloom, purple flesh
🪵 Bark
Green, angular stems, photosynthetic
🗺️ Distribution
Europe, mountain and boreal regions; common in acid mountain woodland (Vosges, Alps, Massif Central).
🐝 Value for pollinators
Small pink bell-shaped flowers, important for bumblebees and wild bees in spring at altitude.
✂️ Horticultural uses
Planted in heather gardens or acid woodland, also grown for berry harvesting.
⚠️ Possible toxicity
No known toxicity; fruits edible.
⚠️ Look-alike species
Bilberry
Vaccinium myrtillus
Highbush blueberry
Vaccinium corymbosum
Wild bilberry has small blue-black fruits with purple flesh and angular twigs; the cultivated highbush blueberry has much larger berries with pale flesh, on a taller, more upright shrub.
Bilberry
Vaccinium myrtillus
Lingonberry
Vaccinium vitis-idaea
Bilberry has deciduous, finely toothed leaves and blue-black fruits with a waxy bloom, whereas cowberry has evergreen, leathery, glossy leaves and bright red fruits.
🌿 Other Ericaceae to discover
ℹ️ Educational profile — do not use it to judge whether a plant is edible or safe.
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