Vaccinium myrtillus seed
LATIN NAME: VACCINIUM MYRTILLUS
COMMON NAME: Bilberry, Whortleberry, Blaeberry
The bilberry is a low, leafy, wiry shrub of the heaths and the woodlands, and its small, round, blue-black berries have made it one of the most loved of the wild fruits. It grows as a low, deciduous shrub, reaching up to half a metre, with many branched, wiry, angular green stems bearing small, oval, finely toothed leaves and, in spring, small, pink, bell-shaped flowers, followed by small, round, blue-black, waxy berries, while the leaves often take on a warm colour before they fall. It is a flowering shrub in the heath family, native to the cooler regions of Europe, Asia and North America, where it grows in the heaths and the woodlands, and it is one of the most common plants of the moorlands and mountains, growing among the heather, while its berries colour the ground blue-black in late summer, a sight familiar to the walkers and the gatherers of the region.
Scientific Research & Plant Biotechnology
The bilberry has a real and distinguished place in research. It has been studied in food science and nutrition, since its small, dark berries are rich in the colouring and protective compounds, and researchers have examined the berries and their constituents, while the study of the dark berries and their compounds has been of great and continuing interest. The plant has also been studied in botany and ecology, since it is a native of the heaths and the woodlands of the cool regions, and its relationships, its distribution and its role in the heath have been examined, while the ecology of the heathland plants has been of continuing interest, and its berries are an important part of the diet of grouse and other moorland birds. The species has also been studied in horticulture, since it is a low, leafy shrub of the peaty, acid soils, and researchers have examined its growth and its cultivation, while the dried leaves have a long tradition of use in herbal teas in the region, and the plant is best appreciated as a fruit of the garden and of the wild rather than a casual remedy. For a shrub of such value, the bilberry has a rich and continuing record of research.
Ecological & Economic Value & Wide Applications
To grow the Bilberry from seed, ecologically, the bilberry is a generous plant of the heath. Its small, pink, bell-shaped flowers feed the bees and the insects, and its small, round, blue-black berries feed the birds and the wildlife, while its low, leafy mats give fine cover to the ground of the heath, and on the open heath and the moors of its home it colours the ground blue-black with its fruit in the late summer. Its economic value is real: the bilberry is prized for its small, flavourful, dark berries, and its value has drawn attention in the international food and nutrition press as a fruit of the heath, while the dark berries have been loved in the jams and the desserts of the region, and a herbal tea can be made from the dried leaves. To bring the bilberry on, sow the seeds on the surface of moist, peaty, acid compost, keep them gently watered, and grow the little plants on in a cool, bright, shaded spot.
sow the seeds on the surface of moist, peaty, acid compost, keep the young bilberries gently watered, and grow the little plants on in a cool, bright, shaded spot.
LATIN NAME: Vaccinium myrtillus
COMMON NAME: Bilberry
The bilberry is a low, leafy, wiry shrub of the heaths and the woodlands, and its small, round, blue-black berries have made it one of the most loved of the wild fruits. It grows as a low, deciduous shrub, reaching up to half a metre, with the many, branched, wiry, angular green stems bearing the small, oval, finely toothed leaves and, in the spring, the small, pink, bell-shaped flowers, followed by the small, round, blue-black, waxy berries, while the leaves often take on a warm colour before they fall. It is a species of the flowering shrub in the heath family, and it is native to the cooler regions of the Europe, the Asia and the North America, while it grows in the heaths and the woodlands, and it is known as the bilberry or the whortleberry.
The bilberry belongs to the heath family, Ericaceae, and it is a species of the low, deciduous shrub, native to the cooler regions of the northern world, while it is known as the bilberry or the blaeberry. It is prized for its small, round, blue-black, flavourful berries and its low, leafy, wiry habit.
Scientific Research & Plant Biotechnology
The bilberry has a real and distinguished place in the research. It has been studied in the food science and the nutrition, since its small, dark berries are rich in the colouring and the protective compounds, and researchers have examined the berries and their constituents, while the study of the dark berries and their compounds has been of great and continuing interest. The plant has also been studied in the botany and the ecology, since it is a native of the heaths and the woodlands of the cool regions, and its relationships, its distribution and its role in the heath have been examined, while the ecology of the heathland plants has been of continuing interest, and the study of the wild fruits has been of value. The species has also been studied in the horticulture, since it is a low, leafy shrub of the peaty, acid soils, and researchers have examined its growth and its cultivation, while the growing of the bilberries and their relatives in the garden has been of continuing interest, and the plant is best appreciated as a fruit of the garden and of the wild rather than a casual remedy. For a shrub of such value, the bilberry has a rich and continuing record of research.
Ecological & Economic Value & Wide Applications
Ecologically, the bilberry is a generous plant of the heath. Its small, pink, bell-shaped flowers feed the bees and the insects, and its small, round, blue-black berries feed the birds and the wildlife, while its low, leafy mats give a fine cover to the ground of the heath. On the open heath and the moors of its home it colours the ground blue-black with its fruit in the late summer, a sight familiar to the walkers and the gatherers of the region.
Its economic value is real. The bilberry is prized for its small, flavourful, dark berries, and its value has drawn attention in the international food and nutrition press as a fruit of the heath, while the dark berries and their relatives have also been loved in the jams and the desserts of the region. For a grower, the bilberry is a rewarding and interesting shrub, and for a gardener of the acid, peaty soils it brings a low, leafy shrub and a small, sweet harvest of the dark berries. The seeds are easy to start — let them rest cool and damp for a few weeks, then sow them in a pot of moist, peaty, acid compost, keep them gently watered, and theyll be sprouting steadily, growing on into a low, leafy, berry-bearing shrub.
Commonly called “bilberry” Ericaceae: a low, spreading shrub, up to 2ft tall, bilberry is one of the most common plants of the moorlands and mountains, growing among the heather. The green-pink bell-shaped flowers appear from April to June and are followed in July by round blue-black berries covered with a grape-like bloom. The berries, which can be used to make jam, they are also an important part of the diet of grouse and other moorland birds. USES: The fruit can be used raw or cooked, they have a sweet and very tasty flavour, and 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, also an herbal tea can be made from the leaves. The dried leaves of bilberries are used in the treatment of a variety of complaints. These leaves should be harvested in early autumn, only green leaves being selected, and then dried in gentle heat. The leaves should not be used medicinally for more than 3 weeks at a time. A tea made from the dried leaves is strongly astringent, diuretic, tonic and an antiseptic for the urinary tract. It is also a remedy for diabetes if taken for a prolonged period. Another report says that the leaves can be helpful in pre-diabetic states but that they are not an alternative to conventional treatment. The leaves contain glucoquinones, which reduce the levels of sugar in the blood. A decoction of the leaves or bark is applied locally in the treatment of ulcers and in ulceration of the mouth and throat. A distilled water made from the leaves is an excellent eyewash for soothing inflamed or sore eyes. Whilst the fresh fruit has a slightly laxative effect upon the body, when dried it is astringent and is commonly used in the treatment of diarrhoea. The dried fruit is also antibacterial and a decoction is useful for treating diarrhoea in children. The skin of the fruits contains anthocyanin and is specific in the treatment of hemeralopia (day-blindness).