Bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus)

Family: Ericaceae | Edibility: Choice Edible (4/5)

The Bilberry or Whortleberry is a species of shrub with edible fruit. It has one of the richest natural sources of anthocyanins giving the bilberry its blue/black colour and with a high antioxidant content believed to be responsible for the many health benefits of bilberry and other berry fruits. In traditional European medicine, bilberry has been used for over a 1000 years.

Edible Parts & Harvest Seasons

Edible Parts: Fruit, Berries, Leaves

Harvest Seasons: Early Summer, Fall, Late Summer, Spring, Winter

Flavor & Culinary Uses

Sweet and very tasty, they make an excellent preserve, their small seeds making them suitable for jam. — Fruit - raw or cooked.; Sweet and very tasty, they make an excellent preserve, their small seeds making them suitable for jam.; A slightly acid flavour when eaten raw.; The fruit can be dried and used like currants.

Habitat & North American Range

Heaths, moors and woods on acid soils to 1250 metres. (Zone 3, Zone 4, Zone 5, Zone 6, Zone 7)