ABSTRACT
Bilberry is a small, somewhat spreading, perennial, deciduous, shrub with slender angular branches arising from a creeping rhizome system. The bilberry is found in most of Europe, but only on mountains in the south. Bilberry is harvested mostly from native stands in North America and Europe, although it is occasionally cultivated. Bilberry extracts are popular and are commonly marketed in Europe, as well as by numerous North American supermarkets, drug stores, and health stores. Culinary uses for the bilberry are much the same as for blueberries. Bilberry has a well-deserved reputation as a useful herbal medicine, as well as being a rather attractive jam and berry plant, and therefore promises a growing market. The Cascade bilberry is also of potential interest in breeding and crop development because of its excellent fruit flavor, cold-hardiness, and blossom frost resistance.
