Shrubs🌿 Native to the NetherlandsVery hardy — tolerates frost down to -30°C

Bog bilberry

Name: Bog bilberry (Vaccinium uliginosum)
Brand: HSMN Planten
SKU: 6a9078613361a82bb5c90ae3
Price: 8.95 EUR
Availability: BackOrder

Vaccinium uliginosum

From€8.95incl. VAT

Select a size to order

Choose a size

The bog bilberry (Vaccinium uliginomum) is an originally native, deciduous dwarf shrub found in wet heaths, peat dikes, boggy woodlands, dune valleys, and light forests on acidic sandy and peaty soils. The young branches are round and gray-brown. The smooth-edged leaves are green on top and remarkably bluish-green on the underside. Small, whitish to pink bell-shaped flowers appear in May and June. The blue-frosted berries ripen mainly in August and September and have colorless flesh and juice. This distinguishes them from the common bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus), the juice of which stains deep purple. The bog bilberry can form groups via underground runners, but only grows well if the soil remains acidic, nutrient-poor, and moist for a long period.

Specific care needed

The bog bilberry requires a cool spot in the sun or light partial shade with acidic, lime-free, and nutrient-poor soil, preferably with a pH of about 4.0 to 5.5. Use peat-free heath soil mixed with well-decomposed conifer humus, composted pine bark, and some lime-free coarse sand. Keep the soil constantly slightly moist to moist, but avoid long-term stagnant water around the roots. Use only rainwater and never let the soil dry out completely, especially during warm periods. Do not use lime, standard compost, stable manure, or strong fertilizers. A thin mulch layer of pine bark or partially decomposed pine needles keeps the shallow roots cool and moist. Protect the plant from hot afternoon sun, dry winds, and disturbance of the roots.

Year calendar

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
🌸Blooms
🐝Provides nectar
🍓Bears fruit
🍂Has autumn colour

Pruning period

✂️Best pruning period: Feb–Mar

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
✂️ Pruning period

Best pruning period

The bog bilberry hardly needs pruning. Only remove dead, damaged, or very old branches at the end of winter. Do not prune deeply into old wood and disturb the shallow roots and runners as little as possible.

Botanical profile

Site & soil

Sun, Half shade

Soil type: Sand, Peat

Moisture need: Moderately moist, Moist, Wet / marshy

pH: Acidic (<5.5), Slightly acidic (5.5–6.5)

Nutrient richness: Very nutrient-poor, Nutrient-poor

Humus content: Moderately humus-rich, Humus-rich, Peaty

Water drainage: Well draining, Moisture-retentive

Appearance & season

Mature height: 30-120cm

Bloom: May–Jun

Autumn colour: Yellow, orange to reddish

Properties

Salt sensitive: Yes

Edible: No

Not recommended for consumption. According to NDFF/Heukels, the fruits and leaves are considered poisonous and the edibility of the berries is uncertain. Do not consume.

Scent: The small bell flowers mainly attract bumblebees and other bees through nectar and pollen.

Ecological value

The bell-shaped flowers are mainly visited and pollinated by bumblebees and other bees. The foliage provides food for various caterpillars and other small insects associated with Vaccinium species. The dense, low shrubs offer shelter to spiders, beetles, and small soil organisms. The berries are eaten and dispersed by birds and various mammals. Furthermore, the bog bilberry is a characteristic species of vulnerable heath and peat environments. Due to its very rare occurrence, every genetically pure plant of responsible origin contributes to the preservation of genetic and botanical diversity.

Food web & Biodiversity

🐛 Caterpillars & mothsUseful

🐝 Bees & bumblebeesExtremely useful

🪰 HoverfliesLimited

🦋 ButterfliesUseful

🪲 Beetles & insectsUseful

🐦 BirdsExtremely useful

🐿️ MammalsUseful

🐞 Other animalsUseful

The bog bilberry is beneficial for caterpillars and moths, as several species use the leaves of Vaccinium species. The bell-shaped flowers provide nectar and pollen and are primarily pollinated by bumblebees and other bees, making their value to this group very high. Hoverflies may visit the flowers, but they have less easy access due to the deep bell shape and are therefore rated as having limited use. The berries are eaten and dispersed by birds, making the bog bilberry highly valuable to them. Its value to butterflies is beneficial due to the shelter provided and the use of the vegetation by a few specialized species. Beetles and other insects utilize the leaves, flowers, and the moist litter layer, and are considered useful. Small mammals can eat the berries and forage among the low shrubs. Spiders, mites, soil organisms, and other small animals also benefit from the moist, sheltered vegetation.

Distribution in the Netherlands