Vaccinium oxycoccus
L.
Small Cranberry, Lingonberries
iNaturalist· cc-by-nc
(c) Vladimir Yu. Arkhipov, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
iNaturalist· cc-by-nc
(c) Vladimir Yu. Arkhipov, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
iNaturalist· cc-by-nc
(c) Nikolay V Dorofeev, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
Description
A creeping shrub. It keeps growing from year to year. It grows 10-40 cm long. It has fine woody stems. The leaves are alternate and simple. They are thick, oval and dark shiny green above. They are 5 mm long and the edges are rolled under. The flowers are pink and small. They are 5 mm across and occur as 1-4 together on nodding stalks. The fruit are red. They are 6-8 mm across.
Edible Uses
The fruit is used for jellies, sauces, drinks, pies, and preserves, and can be added to sauerkraut. The leaves are used as tea, and seeds are used for oil.
Traditional Uses
The fruit are used for jellies, sauces, drinks, pies and preserves. They are added to sauerkraut. The leaves are used as tea.
This uses section is brief — help expand it
Medicinal Uses
The fruit has health benefits.
Distribution
It grows in subarctic and alpine places. It grows on sphagnum moss and in bog forests. It does best in a soil with pH 2.9-3.8. It is more cold tolerant than Cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpum).
Where It Grows
Alaska, Asia, Australia, Belarus, Britain, Canada, Caucasus, China, Czech Republic, Estonia, Europe, Finland, Georgia, Greenland, Ireland, Japan, Korea, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Netherlands, North America, Norway, Poland, Russia, Scandinavia, Sweden, Ukraine, USA,
Cultivation
It can be grown from cuttings or rooted runners.
Notes
They have health benefits.
Dangerous Lookalikes
This plant can be confused with the following toxic species. Always verify identification carefully before consuming any wild plant.
Deadly Nightshade
Atropa belladonna
Joan Simon from Barcelona, España
Small Cranberry
Vaccinium oxycoccus
(c) Vladimir Yu. Arkhipov, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
Deadly Nightshade: Tall herbaceous plant (1-2m), single shiny black cherry-sized berries, star-shaped calyx, large oval leaves, sweet but dangerous taste.
Small Cranberry: Low woody shrub, berries in clusters with crown/remnant calyx ring, sweet taste.
Nutrition
| Part | Moisture | kJ | kcal | Protein | Vit A | Vit C | Iron | Zinc |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fruit | 146 | 35 | 0.4 | — | — | — | — | — |
Synonyms
Also Known As
Bog cranberry, Buckberry, European Cranberry, Dzervene, Garbalo, Karbala, Karpalo, Kliukva, Klukva, Kuremari, Moorberry, Mossberry, Spiceberry, Tranebaer, Veenbes, Zhuravina, Zuraviny
References (47)
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