Lingonberry

Sun

Full sun to partial shade; afternoon shade helps near the warmer end of its range. Heavy shade reduces flowering and fruiting.

Water

Keep the shallow root zone evenly moist but never waterlogged. Water during dry spells, including winter dry spells when the ground is unfrozen.

Soil

Acidic, humus-rich, well-drained soil, ideally pH 4.0-5.5. Avoid chalk, lime and heavy, poorly drained clay.

Height

0.5-1.5 ft (0.15-0.45 m)

Spread

1-3 ft (0.3-0.9 m), eventually wider as underground stems form a colony

Flowers

White to pale pink bells in late spring to early summer; some cultivars flower again later in summer.

Foliage

Evergreen. Small, leathery, oval leaves with glossy dark green upper surfaces, rolled edges and dark dots underneath; foliage may bronze in winter.

Growth

Slow to moderate; establishment is often slow during the first year.

Care needed

Medium

• Pollinators
• Cold hardy
• Wildlife
• Low allergen
• Edible

Northern hemisphere months. In Australia, shift them by six.

Difficulty

Moderate

Toughness

Fairly tough

Pick your zone, country, light and whether you have pets.

1. Planting day

   1 ft (0.3 m)

   full size

About 7 years to full size.

From a typical nursery size, at an average rate for this kind of plant. A rule of thumb, not a forecast.

Cats and dogs

Mildly toxic: may upset a stomach

Native to

the US, Canada and the UK

In the garden

Spreads vigorously: plan to contain it.

Growth rate

Slow

• Water before the shallow root zone dries out; use rainwater where tap water is hard.
• Mulch with 1-2 in (2.5-5 cm) of fine pine bark or pine needles, keeping the main stems clear.
• Feed sparingly in spring with a fertilizer for acid-loving plants; avoid heavy feeding and manure.
• Plant two different compatible cultivars for better fruit set, even though many can fruit alone.
• Keep weeds down by hand rather than hoeing through the shallow roots.
• In containers, use ericaceous compost and keep drainage holes clear.

Pruning. In late winter or early spring, remove dead, damaged or crowded stems at their base. Once a patch becomes congested or less productive, thin a few of the oldest stems rather than shearing the whole plant annually.

Pick berries in late summer and autumn when they are fully red, firm and detach readily; some cultivars produce an earlier crop as well. Expect a worthwhile crop about 2-3 years after planting, sometimes longer in poor conditions. The berries remain tart when ripe and are commonly cooked into sauces, preserves or juice.

Late winter

Remove dead stems and lightly thin congested established plants.

Spring

Plant into prepared acidic soil, renew mulch and apply a light feed if growth is weak.

Late spring

Keep flowering plants watered and avoid insecticides that could harm visiting bees.

Summer

Check soil moisture regularly, especially in containers, and water before plants wilt.

Late summer to autumn

Pick fully red berries and protect ripening crops from birds if necessary.

Autumn

Separate rooted runners for new plants where the soil is still workable.

• Use as an edible groundcover beneath blueberries, where both receive enough light to fruit.
• Edge an acidic-soil woodland border with a low, evergreen ribbon of foliage.
• Plant among dwarf conifers and heathers for contrasting leaf textures and seasonal berries.
• Grow in a broad container of ericaceous compost where garden soil is alkaline.

Garden styles it suits: Woodland, Edible landscape, Scandinavian, Food forest, Small-space and Winter interest.

Plant it with: Blueberries, Heather, Bilberry, Dwarf rhododendrons, Dwarf conifers and Japanese painted fern.

Wildlife: The flowers feed bumblebees and other pollinating insects. Birds and small mammals eat the berries, and established patches provide low cover.

• Yellow leaves with greener veins usually indicate soil that is too alkaline: test the pH, stop using lime and move plants into acidic soil or ericaceous container compost if necessary.
• Root rot in wet ground causes decline or dieback: improve drainage, avoid standing water and replace badly affected plants.
• Dry soil and hot winds cause scorched leaves and poor crops: maintain mulch, water consistently and provide afternoon shade in warmer gardens.
• Birds may take ripe berries: cover the crop with taut, securely enclosed wildlife-safe netting and check it daily.

Ripe berries are edible for people and are not known to be toxic to cats, dogs or horses, although specific veterinary safety information is limited. Leaves contain arbutin and should not be eaten or used for homemade medicinal preparations; safety of substantial leaf consumption is not established.

• Bearberry (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi)

  Also forms evergreen mats with red berries, but its leaves generally widen toward the tip and lack the dark gland dots visible beneath lingonberry leaves.

• American wintergreen (Gaultheria procumbens)

  Has larger leaves with fine teeth and a strong wintergreen smell when crushed; its red fruits are usually carried singly rather than in lingonberry-like clusters.

• Large cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon)

  Has slender trailing stems, narrower leaves and larger berries on long stalks; its flowers have strongly swept-back petals rather than bell-shaped corollas.

Lingonberry comes from the Swedish word lingon, while vitis-idaea means 'vine of Mount Ida'.

Propagation. Separate rooted runners in spring or autumn and replant promptly. Semi-ripe cuttings can be rooted in summer; seed is slower and does not preserve cultivar characteristics.

Accepted botanical name

Vaccinium vitis-idaea

In the US and Canada

Native in Alaska, Canada, Greenland, the lower 48 states and St. Pierre and Miquelon.

Native range

Alaska, Albania, Alberta, Aleutian Is., Altay, Amur, Austria, Baltic States, Belarus, Belgium, British Columbia and Bulgaria.

Measured

Soil pH 4.5 to 6. Average height 6 cm.

Sources: GBIF (CC BY 4.0), USDA PLANTS and Trefle (CC BY 4.0). The care and design notes are LandscapeGPT's own.