Vaccinium ovalifolium


Vaccinium ovalifolium is a plant in the heath family having three varieties, all of which grow in northerly regions, including the subarctic.

Growth

Vaccinium ovalifolium is a spreading shrub which may grow to tall. It has pink urn-shaped flowers. Berries are dark blue, often black, sometimes with a waxy coating.

Distribution

The original variety is found on both the eastern and western sides of the Pacific Ocean; in North America, it is distributed in Canada ; and the United States ; across the Pacific to Asia and Eurasia, it is distributed in Russia ; and in Japan.
Vaccinium ovalifolium is used in jams and jellies and for making liqueur. Blueberry herbal tea can be made from the leaves, or from the juice of the blueberries themselves.
Vaccinium ovalifolium has been used in Russia in the making of dyes, including the use of its tannin.
In the winter, Vaccinium ovalifolium is an important food source for grazing deer, goats, and elk, and in the summer the nectar feeds hummingbirds.