Bilberries / Summer / Edible

Bilberry Foraging is one of the first I ever did as a child, they go by many names such as whimberries, whortleberries, blaeberries & Wild Blueberries. They are beautiful wild ingredients and well worth hiking up to higher altitudes to find and enjoy.

Common Names

Bilberry, blaeberry, wimberry, whortleberry, Wild Blueberries

Botanical Name

Vaccinium myrtillus

Scientific Classification

Kingdom – Plantae

Order –Ericales 

Family – Ericaceae

Physical Characteristics of Bilberry 

Bilberries are a hairless low growing under-shrub, covering large areas of land; they grow to a maximum height of 50cm, but can look taller when growing on sharply angled ground.

Flowers

The flowers, appearing in clusters April-June, are globular or urn shaped, greenish turning pink with a length and width of 5-6mm.

Leaves

The bright green leaves are oval shaped, often with a wavy margin and are finely toothed.

Fruit

The purple to black fruit ripens from August through to September, growing within the whole shrub, making them more difficult to pick. They’re globular shaped 5-6mm in length and width with an indented tip.

Habitat

The UK, Europe, Iceland to Spain, Northern Asia,

Woodlands, Heaths and Moors, enjoying acidic soil and damp conditions

Known Hazards

The Plant has high tannin content and if eaten to excess can affect digestion. Avoid eating if taking anti-coagulating medication.

Could be confused with

Other Closely Related species in the Vaccinium Genus, Vaccinium uliginosum, Vaccinium cespitosum, Vaccinium deliciosum, Vaccinium membranaceum, Vaccinium ovalifolium all of which are similarly edible.

Edible Use

Leaves: green tea, fermented tea, dried tea, wine, smoking foods

Flower clusters: tea, syrup, salads, dessert decoration, candied

Berries: Jam, Jelly, Tea, Ice cream, Sorbet, Syrup, Pies, Pastries, Muffins, Cakes, Fruit Leather, wine.

Find our Bilberry Recipes right here

Notes on Herbal uses

The Leaves can be taken in tea for a prolonged period of time to aid diabetes as it reduces blood sugar levels. The berries are high in anthocyanins which can dilate blood vessel, helping lower blood pressure and have been recorded as promoting good eye sight.

Extra notes from the Foragers

The easiest way I’ve found of collecting these berries is with a fruit picker, which also picks a lot of leaves with it. Then taking the whole lot and placing it on a table and blowing over it with a hair dryer blowing cold – the leaves get blown away and the berries stay on the table.

The people of Cheshire are said to eat the berries picked on Lammas with cream and milk for good luck.

Links

Health benefits of bilberry leaf tea