Alpine Bilberry (Vaccinium uliginosum): Cold-Hardy Bog Shrub with Edible Berries

Alpine bilberry, also called bog bilberry or ground hurts, is a low, deciduous shrub native to circumboreal regions. It thrives in cold, acidic wetlands and produces small, edible, blue-black berries similar to blueberries.

Botanical Profile

• Family: Ericaceae
• Genus: Vaccinium
• Species: uliginosum

Features

Spreading shrub, 6–24 inches tall. Leaves are ovate, entire, gray-green, deciduous. Flowers are pinkish, urn-shaped. Berries are blue-black, glaucous, edible but less sweet than blueberries. Very cold-hardy.

Culture

Full sun to part shade. Acidic, wet, peaty soil. Hardy in USDA zones 2–6. Requires consistent moisture and low pH.

Uses

Bog gardens, wetland restoration, native plant collections, edible landscaping in cold climates.