Ericaceae FAMILY

Vaccinium oxycoccos

Edibility

4/5

Medicinal

2/5

Safety & Hazards

None known

Botanical Description

Vaccinium oxycoccos is an evergreen shrub producing sparsely-branched, long, thin, wiry, more or less procumbent stems with erect to ascending branches 1 - 15cm tall. The plant grows from a rhizomatous rootstock with rhizomes up to 80cm long, forming in time a mat of growth[ 11 Title Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. Publication Author Bean. W. Publisher Murray Year 1981 ISBN - Description A classic with a wealth of information on the plants, but poor on pictures. , 266 Title Flora of China Publication Author Website http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/china/ Publisher Missouri Botanical Garden Press; St. Louis. Year 1994 ISBN Description An excellent, comprehensive resource in 25 volumes. In addition to the botanical information the flora also gives basic information on habitat and some uses. An on-line version is also available. ]. The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food, medicine and source of materials. It is sometimes harvested in large quantities that can be sold commercially[ 11 Title Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. Publication Author Bean. W. Publisher Murray Year 1981 ISBN - Description A classic with a wealth of information on the plants, but poor on pictures. ]. It is sometimes grown as an ornamental in gardens, where it can be used as a ground cover.

Habitat & Origin

Origintemperate

Native RangeEurope - Norway to France, east to European Russia, Balkans; E. Asia - Siberia to China, Japan, Korea; N. America- Far North to California, Maryland

HabitatAcid boggy land[ 17 Title Flora of the British Isles. Publication Author Clapham, Tutin and Warburg. Publisher Cambridge University Press Year 1962 ISBN - Description A very comprehensive flora, the standard reference book but it has no pictures. ]. Half buried in Sphagnum hummocks in bogs, fens, muskeg, arctic-alpine tundra; at elevations from sea level to 1,500 metres[ 270 Title Flora of N. America Publication Author Website http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/fna/ Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description An on-line version of the flora with an excellent description of the plant including a brief mention of plant uses. ].