Plant Details

Vaccinium myrtillus

European blueberry

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Common names

56 names · 37 languages
EnglishYour language
  • Bilberry[1]
  • Blaeberry[1]
  • blue whortleberry[1]
+4 more namesShow fewer names
  • common bilberry[1]
  • European blueberry
  • hurtleberry[1]
  • Whortleberry[1]
Other languages (36)
Dutch
  • Blauwe bosbes[1]
  • Europese bosbes
French
Armenian
  • Հապալասի մրտենական[1]
Asturian
Belarusian
  • Чарніцы[1]
Bulgarian
  • Черна боровинка[1]
Catalan
Chinese (Simplified)
  • 山桑子[1]
  • 黑果越橘[1]
Chinese (Traditional)
  • 山桑子[1]
  • 黑果越橘[1]
Czech
  • borůvka[1]
  • brusnice borůvka[1]
Danish
Estonian
  • harilik mustikas[1]
Faroese
  • aðalbláber[1]
Finnish
  • kangasmustikka[1]
  • mustikka[1]
German
Hebrew
  • אוכמנית שחורה[1]
Hungarian
  • Fekete áfonya[1]
Icelandic
  • Aðalbláberjalyng[1]
Irish
Italian
  • Mirtillo nero[1]
Japanese
  • ビルベリー[1]
Latvian
Lithuanian
  • Paprastoji mėlynė[1]
Norwegian
Ojibwe
Polish
  • borówka czarna[1]
  • czarna jagoda[1]
Portuguese
Russian
  • Черника обыкновенная[1]
Serbian
  • Боровница[1]
Slovak
  • brusnica čučoriedková[1]
  • čučoriedka obyčajná[1]
Slovenian
  • borovnica[1]
  • Navadna borovnica[1]
Spanish
Swedish
Turkish
  • Ayıüzümü[1]
  • Siyah Ayı Üzümü[1]
  • yaban mersini[1]
Ukrainian
  • Чорниця звичайна[1]
Welsh
Sources & name notes (1)

Names recorded in our plant catalogue and botanical sources, grouped by language. Usage can vary by region.

Numbered references identify names recorded by an external source. Other names are from our plant catalogue.

[1] Vaccinium myrtillus — iNaturalist taxon names ↗

Community-curated iNaturalist taxonomy; common-name attestation, not an independent botanical determination.

Source records
  • common bilberry — results[0].names[1]; taxon id 127029; Vaccinium myrtillus.
  • Blaeberry — results[0].names[2]; taxon id 127029; Vaccinium myrtillus.
  • Heidelbeere — results[0].names[3]; taxon id 127029; Vaccinium myrtillus.
  • Blaubeere — results[0].names[4]; taxon id 127029; Vaccinium myrtillus.
  • mustikka — results[0].names[5]; taxon id 127029; Vaccinium myrtillus.
  • Черника обыкновенная — results[0].names[6]; taxon id 127029; Vaccinium myrtillus.
  • Blåbær — results[0].names[7]; taxon id 127029; Vaccinium myrtillus.
  • Myrtille — results[0].names[8]; taxon id 127029; Vaccinium myrtillus.
  • Blåbär — results[0].names[9]; taxon id 127029; Vaccinium myrtillus.
  • Nabiu — results[0].names[10]; taxon id 127029; Vaccinium myrtillus.
  • Navadna borovnica — results[0].names[11]; taxon id 127029; Vaccinium myrtillus.
  • Blauwe Bosbes — results[0].names[12]; taxon id 127029; Vaccinium myrtillus.
  • borůvka — results[0].names[13]; taxon id 127029; Vaccinium myrtillus.
  • Blåbær — results[0].names[14]; taxon id 127029; Vaccinium myrtillus.
  • harilik mustikas — results[0].names[15]; taxon id 127029; Vaccinium myrtillus.
  • mora azul — results[0].names[16]; taxon id 127029; Vaccinium myrtillus.
  • blue whortleberry — results[0].names[17]; taxon id 127029; Vaccinium myrtillus.
  • hurtleberry — results[0].names[18]; taxon id 127029; Vaccinium myrtillus.
  • brusnice borůvka — results[0].names[19]; taxon id 127029; Vaccinium myrtillus.
  • borówka czarna — results[0].names[20]; taxon id 127029; Vaccinium myrtillus.
  • czarna jagoda — results[0].names[21]; taxon id 127029; Vaccinium myrtillus.
  • Mirtillo nero — results[0].names[22]; taxon id 127029; Vaccinium myrtillus.
  • Paprastoji mėlynė — results[0].names[23]; taxon id 127029; Vaccinium myrtillus.
  • kangasmustikka — results[0].names[24]; taxon id 127029; Vaccinium myrtillus.
  • Whortleberry — results[0].names[25]; taxon id 127029; Vaccinium myrtillus.
  • arándanu — results[0].names[26]; taxon id 127029; Vaccinium myrtillus.
  • Mirtilo — results[0].names[27]; taxon id 127029; Vaccinium myrtillus.
  • Черна боровинка — results[0].names[28]; taxon id 127029; Vaccinium myrtillus.
  • Arando — results[0].names[29]; taxon id 127029; Vaccinium myrtillus.
  • Bilberry — results[0].names[30]; taxon id 127029; Vaccinium myrtillus.
  • Ininimin — results[0].names[31]; taxon id 127029; Vaccinium myrtillus.
  • 黑果越橘 — results[0].names[32]; taxon id 127029; Vaccinium myrtillus.
  • 黑果越橘 — results[0].names[33]; taxon id 127029; Vaccinium myrtillus.
  • ビルベリー — results[0].names[34]; taxon id 127029; Vaccinium myrtillus.
  • brusnica čučoriedková — results[0].names[35]; taxon id 127029; Vaccinium myrtillus.
  • Հապալասի մրտենական — results[0].names[36]; taxon id 127029; Vaccinium myrtillus.
  • yaban mersini — results[0].names[37]; taxon id 127029; Vaccinium myrtillus.
  • aðalbláber — results[0].names[38]; taxon id 127029; Vaccinium myrtillus.
  • Чорниця звичайна — results[0].names[39]; taxon id 127029; Vaccinium myrtillus.
  • Чарніцы — results[0].names[40]; taxon id 127029; Vaccinium myrtillus.
  • borovnica — results[0].names[41]; taxon id 127029; Vaccinium myrtillus.
  • Mellene — results[0].names[42]; taxon id 127029; Vaccinium myrtillus.
  • Arándano — results[0].names[43]; taxon id 127029; Vaccinium myrtillus.
  • Fekete áfonya — results[0].names[44]; taxon id 127029; Vaccinium myrtillus.
  • Fraochán — results[0].names[45]; taxon id 127029; Vaccinium myrtillus.
  • Aðalbláberjalyng — results[0].names[46]; taxon id 127029; Vaccinium myrtillus.
  • 山桑子 — results[0].names[47]; taxon id 127029; Vaccinium myrtillus.
  • 山桑子 — results[0].names[48]; taxon id 127029; Vaccinium myrtillus.
  • אוכמנית שחורה — results[0].names[49]; taxon id 127029; Vaccinium myrtillus.
  • Llus — results[0].names[50]; taxon id 127029; Vaccinium myrtillus.
  • čučoriedka obyčajná — results[0].names[51]; taxon id 127029; Vaccinium myrtillus.
  • Боровница — results[0].names[52]; taxon id 127029; Vaccinium myrtillus.
  • Siyah Ayı Üzümü — results[0].names[53]; taxon id 127029; Vaccinium myrtillus.
  • Ayıüzümü — results[0].names[54]; taxon id 127029; Vaccinium myrtillus.

General information

Scientific name: Vaccinium myrtillus
Accepted name (Kew): Vaccinium myrtillus L. View name reference ↗

Accepted in the cited Kew taxonomic treatment.

Sources [1] [2]
Botanical family: Ericaceae

Kew's family placement for the genus Vaccinium (WCVP v16).

Sources [1]
Also known as: European blueberry

Plant characteristics

Layer: Shrub
Catalogue size class: Small
Height: 0.20 m
Spread: 0.30 m
Growth rate: None
Foliage: Deciduous

Growing conditions

USDA hardiness: 3-7
Soil moisture:
Moist
Soil:
Sand (light) Loam (medium)
pH:
Acidic
Light:
Partial shade, Full sun

Uses

Edible parts:
Leaves, Fruit, Tea
Edibility rating:
(4)
Medicinal rating:
(3)
Functions:
Dye, Bee forage

Description

Fruit: raw or cooked, the blue blueberries are sweet and delicious, perfect for making jam. Raw, they have a sour taste. The fruits can also be dried. They have a diameter of about 10 mm. Leaves: these leaves can be used to make tea.

Harvest

Harvest starts: 15/07
Harvest ends: 31/08

Sources and references

References for the information marked with source numbers on this page.

Sources checked
  1. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew World Checklist of Vascular Plants, version 16, extracted 4 June 2026
    Supports: Botanical familyTaxonomy
    Relevant sections
    • Botanical family: WCVP v16, wcvp_names.csv row 189682; name ID 2459130; Vaccinium L.. Family column.
    • Taxonomy: WCVP v16, wcvp_names.csv row 188346; name ID 2457648; Vaccinium myrtillus L..

    Source checked on .

    Source data licence: CC BY 3.0.

  2. Catalogue of Life Catalogue of Life 2026-08-20 — Vaccinium myrtillus

    Taxonomic data from World Plants, version 26.05, reproduced in Catalogue of Life 2026-08-20.

    Supports: Taxonomy
    Relevant sections
    • Taxonomy: COL 2026-08-20, NameUsage.tsv line 2739887, ID 7F76T: Vaccinium myrtillus L. (accepted).

    Source checked on .