Also called:

Part of 🫐 blueberry/​cranberry/​huckleberry/​lingonberry  genus Vaccinium in heath / heather  family Ericaceae.

Native all across the 🌐︎ Northern Hemisphere, in areas that are currently arctic tundra or taiga/boreal forest, but were glaciated during the Last Glacial Period:  Alaska, 🇨🇦 Canada, northern continental 🇺🇸 USA, much of 🇪🇺 Europe (🇬🇧 UK, 🇮🇸 Iceland 🇳🇴 🇸🇪 🇫🇮 Scandinavia, through the 🇪🇪 🇱🇻 🇱🇹 Baltics to 🇷🇺 Russia), and Siberia.  And some nearby areas (e.g., 🇹🇷 Türkiye, 🇨🇳 China, and 🇯🇵 Japan).   🗺 Map by county (🇺🇸 USA-48) (color key).   Cultivated in areas a bit farther south.

Uses by native peoples
(Ethnobotany database)

Vaccinium hosts caterpillars of 288 species
of butterflies and moths, in some areas.

Often grows in clonal colonies [1] — look around for other stems!

Learn more about lingonberry Vaccinium vitis-idaea

🔍︎ 🔍︎ images Discover Life Encyclopedia of Life Michigan Flora Minnesota Wildflowers Flora of North America USDA PLANTS db USFS Wikipedia