Blueberry is native to cool temperate climates, especially in northern and central Europe, but also in Asia and North America. The plant prefers to grow in acidic soils. The berries and leaves of the shrub are usually collected from the wild habitat, and the main import is from southeastern Europe.
Herbal medicine use of blueberries
In herbal medicine, mainly the dried ripe berries (Myrtilli fructus) are used, but to a lesser extent the leaves (Myrtilli folium).
Bilberry: typical characteristics
Blueberry is a deciduous dwarf shrub up to 80 cm tall, bearing small, alternate, toothed leaves with short stems. The flowers are solitary or in pairs on the leaf axils and are pale red to greenish or whitish.
Properties of blueberries
Furthermore, the shrub bears small round, blue-black berries. Dried blueberries have a spherical shape with a wrinkled surface and a diameter of about 6 mm. Occasionally they still hang on remnants of stems. Inside the berries are numerous brown-red seeds.
Blueberries give off a faintly sweet odor. The taste of blueberries is sweet-sour and faintly astringent (astringent).
