Low Bush Cranberry

Vaccinium vitis-idaea
Ericaceae/Heather Family

Low Bush Cranberry, also known as Lingonberry, grows on acidic soils in bogs, woods and alpine slopes. It is a low evergreen shrub with creeping horizontal roots with 3-8" upright branches. The many leaves are shiny, oval, hard and evergreen with rolled over edges. The pink and white bell-shaped flowers are clustered at the end of the branches and produce tasty, tart, firm, round, red berries. These are a favorite berry for Alaskans for jelly, sauce and baked goods.

The species vitis-idaea means "win of Mt Ida", a mountain in Crete where this plant grew.