Bilberries

You might mistake bilberries (Vaccinium myrtillus) for blueberries (V. corymbosum) in the wild. Both are small, dark blue berries that grow on woody shrubs.

​Since wild blueberries are smaller and have more intense flavor than their domestic counterparts, it might be hard to tell, since bilberries are also smaller and darker than domestic blueberries, but there are ways. We’ll get to that.

Bilberries (Anneli Salo) CC BY-SA 3.0

More accurately known as common bilberries or blue whortleberries, these tasty tidbits also go by blaeberries, wimberries, and whortleberries, depending on where you live.
 
Bilberry description
 
Bilberries grow on small, deciduous bushes with many branching stems. They rarely grow more than a foot-and-a-half tall (45cm), but they can spread throughout an area via rhizomes, potentially making a lovely short hedge.
 
Small, spear-shaped leaves are light green in summer and turn brilliant red in autumn. Flowers hang from thick stems in spring, and turn from white to pink as they mature. By summer, small, dark blue, slightly flattened fruits with crescent-shaped brown seeds appear. There are also red, red-spotted, white, and yellow fruits in some cases.

​How to grow bilberries
 
Bilberry roots can grow up to 40 inches deep (1m), and these plants can live for up to 30 years, so choose your planting site carefully.
 
Bilberries grow best in USDA Plant Hardiness Zones 3-7. They love cold winters, mild summers, and indirect sun. And they have specific chilling hour requirements (400-1,000 hours), depending on the variety and your microclimate, so choose accordingly. Where you live dictates when to plant.
 
You can start your bilberries from seed or with certified pest- and disease-free bare root plants or rhizomes. They can also be started by cuttings and layering.

Bilberry rhizome (Krzysztof Ziarnek, Kenraiz) CC BY-SA 4.0

​Bilberry plants prefer loose, loamy, or sandy soil. Being short, wind damage isn’t a problem.
 
Do you have a partially (or fully) shaded area of your yard?
 
These plants prefer acidic soil (4.5-5.5pH), so they may enjoy being tucked under a pine tree for some long-term slow-release acidification. If you decide to install more than one bilberry plant, they should be spaced 18-24 inches (45-60cm) apart. You can also grow them in large containers.
 
To plant bare root stock, dig a hole twice as wide as the root ball and just as deep. This allows you to spread out the roots, giving them free rein for their first weeks, and ensures that you install plants to the same depth they were before. Too deep and too shallow are both bad for your bilberries.
 
You can mix some aged compost into the removed soil before you sprinkle it over the roots. Resist the urge to tamp the soil down. This damages root hairs and makes life difficult for your latest addition. Instead, simply water it well. Also known as mudding in, this eliminates air pockets and hydrates the roots, all without causing harm. Finally, mulch around, but not touching, your bilberry to stabilize soil temperature and conserve moisture. Do not overwater.
 
Bilberry pests and diseases
 
Drainage is important to bilberry plants. Soggy soil commonly sets the stage for root rot. And poor air flow can lead to leaf spot diseases, so avoid overhead watering. Aphids and birds are the most common pests of bilberries.

Harvesting bilberries

Bilberries may be healthy and delicious, but they stain like crazy! When the fruit comes away easily, it is ready to harvest. But work gently, or your hands will be purple.

​Finally, how can you tell the difference between a bilberry and a wild blueberry?
 
Blueberries are purple on the inside. If you bite into a bilberry, the inside is red. And you get up to four times the healthful antioxidants found in blueberries.  

​Now you know.

Bilberry fruits (above) and blueberry fruits (below) (I, B.navez) CC BY-SA 3.0jpeg