Virginia Tech Dendrology

bilberry Ericaceae Vaccinium myrtillus L. Listen to the Latin symbol: VAMY2
Leaf: Alternate, simple, elliptical to ovate, to 1 1/2 inch long, margins serrate, green above and paler beneath.
Flower: Species is monoecious; small (1/4 inch), solitary, pink, bell-shaped.
Fruit: Very small (1/4 inch), blue-black berries with reddish flesh, edible.
Twig: Slender, zigzag and sharply angled, green, mostly hairless; buds small and pointed.
Bark: Initially green, becoming reddish brown, smooth.
Form: Low growing, highly branched (may resemble a broom) deciduous shrub usually under 1 foot tall; forms rhizomatous thickets.
 leaf flower twig form1 map
Additional Range Information: Vaccinium myrtillus is native to North America. Range may be expanded by planting. See states reporting bilberry.
External Links: USDAFS Additional Silvics - USDA Plants Database
All material © 2017 Virginia Tech Dept. of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation; Photos and text by: John Seiler, Edward Jensen, Alex Niemiera, and John Peterson