Vaccinium

The trailing bog cranberry of eastern North America: a low evergreen mat of small glossy leaves on rooting runners, with pink flowers whose petals sweep back in early summer and tart red berries in fall. It needs constantly wet, very acid peat in full sun and does not like summer heat. Lingonberry, its circumboreal cousin, takes drier acid heath and forest floor instead.

A deciduous edible shrub for acidic soils, spring flowers, summer berries, pollinator value, and strong fall color.

The circumboreal lingonberry, or cowberry: a low evergreen of acid heath, rocky barrens and conifer forest floor right around the northern hemisphere, with glossy dark leaves, pink and white bell flowers in late spring and clusters of tart red berries that hang on into winter. Where American cranberry wants a wet bog, lingonberry wants moist but free-draining acid soil and a cool summer.