Seasonal Wild Flowers

Bilberry

Vaccinium myrtillus

Ericaceae

Whortleberry, huckleberry and blaeberry

April to June

It grows throughout the country except for the the

Southeast, East Anglia and parts of the east Midlands

and the Northeast.

See the BSBI distribution map for Bilberry

It grows abundantly on heathland, moorland and in

woodland under beech, oak and pine (on acid soils).

Bilberry is a native, deciduous, hummock-forming,

perennial shrub growing up to 50cm.

The flowers are pinkish-red and bell-shaped.

The fruits are dark blue and edible.

Stems are green and angled.

Leaves are oval and varying shades of green.

Previous page: Beech
Next page: Bitter-vetch

Bilberry flowers

Close-up of flowers

Flower and angled stem

Bilberry bushes on moorland, Lancs.

Bilberry fruit

Bilberry bush without leaves in winter