Vaccinium caespitosum

Michx.

Dwarf Bilberry, Dwarf huckleberry

Ericaceae Edible: Fruit 3,485 iNaturalist observations

Has a deadly poisonous lookalike — see comparison below

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Summary

Low-growing deciduous shrub reaching 0.6 m with hermaphrodite flowers pollinated by insects. Thrives in light sandy or medium loamy, well-drained soils with mildly acid to very acid pH. Grows in semi-shade or full sun and prefers moist to wet soil conditions.

Description

It is a small shrub. It grows 10-25 cm high and spreads 60 cm wide. The stems are finely branched and grow close to the ground. It loses its leaves during the year. The leaves are small and sometimes have teeth along the edge. The flowers are pink or cream. The fruit are bluish berries. They are 6 mm wide. They are edible.

Edible Uses

The fruit can be eaten raw or cooked. The leaves can also be used to make a tea.

Traditional Uses

The fruit are used for preserves and pies. The fruit are sweet and can be eaten fresh.

This uses section is brief — help expand it

Medicinal Uses

The plant has antiseptic, astringent, carminative, and hypoglycaemic properties and is a source of vitamin C.

Distribution

It is a cold temperate plant. It grows in alpine regions of NE United States. It grows on the dry needle-littered floor of pine forests. It suits hardiness zones 2-8.

Where It Grows

Alaska, Arctic, Australia, Britain, Canada, Europe, Mexico, North America, USA,

Cultivation

It is grown from runners that have uprights and roots.

Propagation

Sow seed in late winter in a greenhouse using a lime-free potting mix, barely covering the seed. Stored seed may need up to 3 months of cold stratification. Alternatively, sow fresh seed in a greenhouse as soon as it is ripe. Prick seedlings out into individual pots once they reach about 5cm tall, and grow them on in a lightly shaded greenhouse position for at least their first winter. Plant out in late spring or early summer after the last expected frosts. Half-ripe cuttings, 5–8cm with a heel, can be taken in August and rooted in a frame, though this is slow and difficult. Layering can be done in late summer or early autumn — or in spring according to some sources — and takes 18 months. Suckers can be divided in spring or early autumn.

Other Uses

None known.

Dangerous Lookalikes

This plant can be confused with the following toxic species. Always verify identification carefully before consuming any wild plant.

DEADLY

Deadly Nightshade

Atropa belladonna

Joan Simon from Barcelona, España

Safe

Dwarf Bilberry

Vaccinium caespitosum

Deadly Nightshade: Tall herbaceous plant (1-2m), single shiny black cherry-sized berries, star-shaped calyx, large oval leaves, sweet but dangerous taste.

Dwarf Bilberry: Low woody shrub, berries in clusters with crown/remnant calyx ring, sweet taste.

Also Known As

Arandano, Dwarf blueberry

References (17)

Beckstrom-Sternberg, Stephen M., and James A. Duke. "The Foodplant Database." http://probe.nalusda.gov:8300/cgi-bin/browse/foodplantdb.(ACEDB version 4.0 - data version July 1994)
Brickell, C. (Ed.), 1999, The Royal Horticultural Society A-Z Encyclopedia of Garden Plants. Convent Garden Books. p 1039
Bowser, M., 2017, Handout on Edible Plants of the Kenai Peninsula. USFWS Kenai National Wildlife Refuge p 13
Cormack, R. G. H., 1967, Wild Flowers of Alberta. Commercial Printers Edmonton, Canada. p 254
Cundall, P., (ed.), 2004, Gardening Australia: flora: the gardener's bible. ABC Books. p 1453

Show all 17 references

Fisk, J. R. & Hoover, E., 2015, Wild Fruits of Minnesota. A Field Guide. University of Minnesota p 32
Hedrick, U.P., 1919, (Ed.), Sturtevant's edible plants of the world. p 666
Heller, C. A., 1962, Wild Edible and Poisonous Plants of Alaska. Univ. of Alaska Extension Service. p 51
Kermath, B. M., et al, 2014, Food Plants in the Americas: A survey of the domesticated, cultivated and wild plants used for Human food in North, Central and South America and the Caribbean. On line draft. p 891
MacKinnon, A., et al, 2009, Edible & Medicinal Plants of Canada. Lone Pine. p 114
Moerman, D. F., 2010, Native American Ethnobotany. Timber Press. p 582
Plants for a Future database, The Field, Penpol, Lostwithiel, Cornwall, PL22 0NG, UK. http://www.scs.leeds.ac.uk/pfaf/
Porsild, A.E., 1974, Rocky Mountain Wild Flowers. Natural History Series No. 2 National Museums of Canada. p 320
Segura, S., et al, 2018, The edible fruit species in Mexico. Genet Resour Crop Evol (2018) 65:1767–1793
Trehane, J., 2004, Blueberries, Cranberries and Other Vacciniums. Timber Press. p 219
Turner, N., 1997, Food Plants of Interior First Peoples. Royal BC Museum Handbook p 113
Turner, N., et al, 2011, "Up on the Mountain": Ethnobotanical Important of Montane Sites in Pacific Coastal North America. Journal of Ethnobiology 31(1): 4-43