Northern mountain cranberry
Prepared by Jennifer L. D’Appollonio, Assistant Scientist, University of Maine, Orono, ME 04469. Updated February 2018.
Scientific name: Vaccinium vitis-idaea L. ssp. minus (Lodd.) Hultén
Common name(s): northern mountain cranberry, mountain cranberry, lingonberry
Links: USDA PLANTS Profile, NPIN Profile, Go Botany
Images: (to see enlargements [PC]: click on image, then right click and choose “view image”)
Description:
-perennial
-low creeping evergreen
-dominant understory plant
-spreads by rhizomes
-reproduces by seeds
-thick simple obovate leaves
- turn purple in the fall
Habitat:
-forests
-can survive in harsh areas
-exposed sites
-rocky ledges
-bogs
-occurs in early successional areas
Agriculture:
-important browsing species for livestock and wildlife
- berries and foliage
- utilized by moose
-Poor fruit production due to
- lack of pollinators
- cold damp weather
- late spring frost
- too much shade
Management:
– susceptible to herbicides such as 2,4-D and 2,4,5-T
Natural History:
-berries can be eaten raw or made into a tart jam
-leaves were used to treat bladder problems
Sources:
U.S. Forest Service. “Fire Effects Information System (FEIS).” Vaccinium Vitis-Idaea, 2020, www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/plants/shrub/vacvit/all.html.