Woody > Vaccinium > Vaccinium myrtillus > Vaccinium myrtillus
Vaccinium myrtillus
Whortleberry, Bilberry
Origin: Britain, southern Iceland, and eastern Spain.
| Family |
| Ericaceae |
| Genus |
| Vaccinium |
| Species |
| myrtillus |
| Category |
| Woody |
| Type |
| Shrub (deciduous) |
| Synonyms |
| Vaccinium myrtillus oreophilum, Vaccinium oreophilum |
| USDA Hardiness Zone |
| 3a - 7b |
| Canadian Hardiness Zone |
| 3 - 7 |
| RHS Hardiness Zone |
| H7 - H5 |
| Temperature (°C) |
| -40 to -10 |
| Temperature (°F) |
| -40 to 14 |
| Height |
| 0.2 m |
| Spread |
| 0.3 m |
Photographs
Cultivars
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Description and Growing Information
Flowering Period
| General Description |
| A shorter deciduous fruiting bush. The flowers bloom in spring and produce the navy blue bilberries by September. |
| Cultivation |
| Requires a moist but freely-draining lime free acidic soil with a pH in the range of 4.5 to 6. |
| Shape |
| Low, open-growing. |
| Pests |
| Generally has few drastic pest and disease issues. It can however suffer from: blueberry maggot, blueberry stem borer, cranberry fruitworm, cherry fruitworm, Japanese beetle, leafroller, leafhopper and aphids. |
| Habitat |
| Woodland garden, sunny borders or in dappled shade. |
| Bark/Stem Description |
| New growth is a semi-glossy green turning to a medium brown with age. Stems show some red colour in the winter. |
| Flower/Leaf Bud Description |
| Tiny brownish-red buds, 2-3 mm long and 1-2 mm wide. |
| Leaf Description |
| Dark blue-green foliage in the summer, changing to crimson-bronze in autumn. Simple leaf, 0.75-2 cm long, 1-1.25 cm wide in an elliptical/ovate shape. |
| Fruit Description |
| Dark blue, sometimes purple-black berries that appear in mid-summer, 5-10 mm across. They have a sweet and acidic taste when eaten raw. |
| Notable Specimens |
| Carn Brea Castle, Carnkie, Redruth, United Kingdom. |
| Propagation |
| Cuttings taken in June will grow well, especially under misted conditions. Also propagated by seed. |
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