How to identify — This deciduous plant grows as a low shrub, from an inch tall in exposed areas, to just over a foot in more protected areas. The leaves emerge just before the flowers. The leaves are nearly circular, (round at the tip, narrowing towards the base), waxless, and have a subtle deep blue-green hue, which becomes purple or red in the fall. Flowers emerge along the stem in groups of 1-3. The white to pale pink bell-shaped flowers hang beneath the emerging leaves. The petals are fused, and will drop as a unit before the fruit begins to develop. The mature fruits look like dark blueberries; they rely on birds or other animals for dispersal, or eventually drop to the ground nearby.

Although it is possible to confuse this shrub with other alpine blueberries, bilberries, or cranberries, a careful look at the leaves will distinguish this species. Alpine bilberry’s round leaves are nearly unique among this group. All other related species have leaves that come to a tip, except mountain cranberry, whose leaves are evergreen and have a waxy coating. Blueberry flowers emerge in groups of 2-5 from the tip of the stem at the same time as the leaves, while bilberry flowers emerge in groups of 1-3 from the middle of the stem slightly after the leaves begin to emerge. Without leaves or flowers, this species is difficult to identify. Look for last year’s leaves that sometimes persist on the stem.

Habitat/Distribution — Alpine bilberry is a habitat generalist that is found throughout the alpine zone where environmental conditions are moderate. Regionally, it is found in alpine areas of New England, and boreal regions throughout the world.

Ecology — Like many in the heath family, alpine bilberry is well adapted to survive in the nutrient poor soils found in the alpine zone. In fact, in addition to growing above treeline, this species can be found in low-elevation bogs, where nutrients are also limited. The fruit is edible, although not as sweet as the closely related blueberry.

Environmental Change Issues — Alpine bilberry is abundant at lower elevations above treeline. Therefore, it is less likely than some of the other alpine plants to become regionally extirpated as a result of climate change.