Vaccinium vitis-idaea
The lingonberry (Vaccinium vitis-idaea L.) is a small evergreen herb that bears edible fruits. It is seldom cultivated but its fruits are commonly collected from the wild. Its native habitat is the circumboreal forests of northern Eurasia and North America, extending from temperate to subarctic climates.
Description
Lingonberry shrubs are typically 10--40 cm in height and have a compact grown habit. They require some shade (as from a forest canopy) and constantly moist, acidic soil. Nutrient-poor soils are tolerated but not alkaline soils. Lingonberry is extremely hardy, tolerating -40Ã.°C or perhaps lower, but grows poorly where the summers are extremely hot.
As already mentioned, lingonberries are non-woody and keep their leaves all winter even in the coldest years --- which is remarkable for a broadleaf plant. The plants spread by underground rhizomes. Plants bear white flowers in the summertime. The fruits typically ripen in the autumn.
Lingonberry fruits, also called lingonberries, are red and tart. They resemble cranberries (Vaccinium macrocarpon) and the two fruits are often confused. (True cranberries are native to North America and occur only in cultivation elsewhere.)
Food use
Wild-collected lingonberries are a popular fruit in northern Europe, notably in Scandinavia, where they are available for gathering on public lands. Because the berries are quite tart, they are almost always cooked and sweetened before eating in the form of jam, compote, juice, or syrup. Lingonberry compote sometimes accompanies game meats.
Nutritional content
Lingonberries contain organic acids, vitamin C, provitamin A (as beta carotene), B vitamins (B1, B2, B3), and the elements potassium, calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus. Besides those healthful nutrients, lingonberries also contain phytochemicals that are thought to counteract urinary-tract infections. Lingonberries are used in herbal medicine.
Other names
The lingonberry has also been called lowbush cranberry, European cranberry, wild cranberry, and cowberry. These alternate names perpetuate the longstanding confusion between the cranberry and the lingonberry and should be avoided.
See also
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