Bog bilberry
Vaccinium uliginosum
Dusky blueberries of tundra and muskeg; sweeter after frost.
Hardiness: zones 1 to 5
Light: full sun
Size: about 1.5 ft tall, 2 ft wide
Harvest: July to August
From: Circumpolar north
Here: Wants more winter cold than the Lake Erie shore (zone 6b to 7a) provides.
Good for: food, wildlife.
Native to: Alaska, Northern Europe & the taiga, Eastern Canada, Western Canada. Hardy in zones 1 to 5.
The story
Bog bilberry grows on tundra and mountain bogs around the whole north, where Inuit, Sámi and Dena'ina families gathered it in late summer and froze or dried it; it is the blueberry of Alaska's muskeg and sweetens after frost.
Planting
Full sun, acid peaty soil, and a cold climate; it fails in heat. Plant in spring, 18 inches apart; a low shrub to 2 feet.
Growing
Keep moist with rainwater, mulch with needles, and leave it alone.
Harvest and use
Berries ripen dusky blue in late summer; mild, best after frost. Eat fresh, dry, or cook with other berries.
What to watch for
Heat and lime; wet summers can bring mildew.
See if Bog bilberry fits your yard
Free planner: enter your ZIP for frost dates, climate fit and a sowing calendar. No account, no ads, no tracking cookies.
More berries and small fruit
General guidance, not professional advice. Conditions vary by yard and year; for local specifics ask your county extension office. Never eat a wild plant you cannot identify with certainty. Traditional uses are shared as history, not medical advice. © 2026 Sean Priest · Irie Orchard. Terms & credits · Privacy · Home