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Cowberry

Cowberry

Vaccinium vitis-idaea

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How common: Very common

Cowberry is a low, evergreen shrub of northern forests. It has pale pink, nodding flowers in early summer and bright red berries in autumn. You can find it in dry to fresh conifer woods and on rocky ground across cool regions of Europe, Asia and North America.

Did you know?

  • Its thick, shiny leaves stay for 3–4 years and can photosynthesize even under snow.
  • It slowly spreads to form low carpets on forest floors.

About the species

Identification

Low evergreen shrub 5–30 cm tall, forming mats. Stems grey-brown, round, slightly hairy. Leaves small (0.8–2 cm), thick and shiny dark green with edges rolled under; underside paler with tiny dark dots. Flowers hang in short clusters at the ends of the shoots, white to pale pink and small bell-like. Round, bright red berries (5–8 mm) ripen in early autumn, sour. Look-alike bearberry has leaf undersides with a net of veins (not dots), and its berries are dry and mealy. Flowers in June–July.

Plant group

Dwarf shrubs

Habitat

heath forest

Flowering

Jun–Jul

About the habitat

Favors light, dry to fresh conifer forests and rocky slopes; also found on bogs, wet woods, field margins and roadsides across boreal and cool temperate regions. Common throughout the country.

Sources

Photo: Jonas Bergsten, Public domain https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Vaccinium vitis-idaea 20060824 003.jpg

Text: Pinkka: Kasvien talvi - Koululaisille: talvivihreät kasvit, CC BY 4.0 https://laji.fi/taxon/MX.38620

Text: Pinkka: Yläkoulun Pinkka - Kuiva kangasmetsä, CC BY 4.0 https://laji.fi/taxon/MX.38620

Text: Pinkka: Suomen puuvartiset - Koppisiemeniset. Lähteet: Väre, H., Saarinen, J., Kurtto, A. & Hämet-Ahti, L. (toim.) 2021: Suomen puu- ja pensaskasvio. 3. täysin uudistettu p. – Publications of the Finnish Dendrological Society 10: 1–552 s., CC BY 4.0 https://laji.fi/taxon/MX.38620

Text: Pinkka: BIO-503 Suomen kasvisto ja kasvillisuus - Metsät: tuoreet kankaat, CC BY 4.0 https://laji.fi/taxon/MX.38620

Text: Pinkka: BIO-516 Hyötykasvit - Kotimaan villivihanneksia ja marjoja, CC BY 4.0 https://laji.fi/taxon/MX.38620

Text: Pinkka: Kasvien talvi - Talvivihreät luonnonkasvit, CC BY 4.0 https://laji.fi/taxon/MX.38620

Text: Wikipedia (Finnish), CC BY-SA 4.0 https://fi.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puolukka

See also