Bog bilberry
Vaccinium uliginosum · Ericaceae · also known as Bog blueberry, Alpine blueberry, Alpine bilberry, Bog huckleberry, Bog whortleberry
A low, cold-hardy wild blueberry of bogs, tundra and mountain heath across Alaska, Canada, Greenland, northern Europe and Asia. Its blue-black berries ripen from late July through September and are picked in quantity for jam, jelly and pies.
At a glance
- Taste
- A mild wild-blueberry flavour. The US Forest Service describes the berries as edible with good flavour. Most of what is picked goes into jams, jellies and pies.
- Origin
- Circumpolar north — Alaska, Canada and Greenland, south to New England, the northern Great Lakes and western Washington and Oregon, and across northern Europe and Asia including Japan
- Grown in
- United States, Canada, Japan
- Peak season
- Summer, Autumn
- Notable varieties
- Wild forms only
Sensory & practical profile
Taste fingerprint
- Sweetness
- Tartness
- Aroma
- Juiciness
- Firmness
Approximate, at peak ripeness · 0–5
- Ripe when
- Blue to black all over, from late July through September; birds often take them before they are fully ripe.
- How to eat
- Eat a few fresh as you pick, then cook the rest. They make good jam, jelly and pie filling.
Red-backed voles in Alaska get 92% of their autumn diet from berries, many of them bog blueberries, according to the US Forest Service.
When it's in season, by region
| Region | Peak months |
|---|---|
| North America | Late Jul–Sep (Alaska and Canada) |
How to select & store
Picking a ripe one
A wild fruit, so you pick it rather than buy it. Take berries that are fully blue-black, with no red or green, and that come away easily. Know your plants. Pick only where you are sure of the identification.
Storing it
Soft wild berries keep only a few days in the fridge. Freeze them unwashed on a tray for later jam and baking.
Practical uses
🍽️ Culinary
- Jams, jellies and pies
- Eaten fresh while picking
- Leaves dried for tea
🎎 Cultural
- The most popular fruit of Native Americans in the Fort Yukon region of Alaska
- A major late-summer food for black and brown bears in interior Alaska
Eating bog bilberry: what to know
What regular consumption looks like
Bog bilberry is mostly water with natural sugars, a little fibre, and assorted micronutrients — a hydrating everyday addition to your overall fruit intake rather than a standout for any one nutrient.
Sensible amounts
A typical fruit serving is roughly a handful, one medium fruit, or about 80 g, and two or more varied fruit servings a day is a sensible everyday pattern.
Evidence & conditions
As a whole fruit, Bog bilberry contributes fibre, vitamins, and beneficial plant compounds, but it has not been shown to treat or prevent any specific condition — so it is best enjoyed as part of a healthy diet rather than as a remedy.
Bog bilberry: frequently asked questions
What does bog bilberry taste like?
A mild wild-blueberry flavour. The US Forest Service describes the berries as edible with good flavour. Most of what is picked goes into jams, jellies and pies.
When is bog bilberry in season?
Bog bilberry is typically in season North America (Late Jul–Sep (Alaska and Canada)). Peak months shift between the northern and southern hemispheres.
How do you eat bog bilberry?
Eat a few fresh as you pick, then cook the rest. They make good jam, jelly and pie filling.
How do you know when bog bilberry is ripe?
Blue to black all over, from late July through September; birds often take them before they are fully ripe.
Is bog bilberry good for you?
Bog bilberry is mostly water with natural sugars, a little fibre, and assorted micronutrients — a hydrating everyday addition to your overall fruit intake rather than a standout for any one nutrient.
How much bog bilberry should you eat?
A typical fruit serving is roughly a handful, one medium fruit, or about 80 g, and two or more varied fruit servings a day is a sensible everyday pattern.
The bog bilberry, Vaccinium uliginosum, is a wild blueberry of the far north. The low shrub grows from sea level to alpine zones. It grows in bogs, cottongrass tussock tundra, sedge meadows, spruce woodland, lake shores and rock outcrops, usually on acid soil. Its range covers Alaska, Canada and Greenland, south to New England, the northern Great Lakes and western Washington and Oregon. It also grows in Europe and Asia, including Japan.
When is it in season?
White to pink flowers open from June to early July, and the fruit ripens from late July through September. The berries are blue to black. Ptarmigan, spruce grouse and other birds often eat them before they are fully ripe, so pickers compete with the wildlife.
Bilberry, blueberry or something else?
The common names are confusing. The European bilberry is a different species, Vaccinium myrtillus. The cultivated blueberry comes from North American highbush and lowbush species. The bog bilberry is a third species, and in North America it usually goes by bog blueberry or alpine blueberry. Its genus, Vaccinium, also includes the lingonberry. For other far-northern wild berries, see the cloudberry and the crowberry.
Who eats it
According to the US Forest Service, the berries are edible and have good flavour. People pick them in large quantities for jams, jellies and pies, and the leaves, fresh or dried, can be used for tea. Around Fort Yukon, Alaska, they were the most popular fruit among Native Americans. Black bears in interior Alaska rely heavily on them from July to September, and red-backed voles get 92% of their autumn diet from berries, many of them bog blueberries.
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In season with bog bilberry
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