It is up to 25 cm tall, an evergreen heath family subshrub with a creeping root and erect, twiggy stems. Flowers are pink or white, blooming in May and June. The fruit is a red, juicy berry, maturing in late July to August. Found throughout Latvia, growing in dry pine forests, clearings, and peat bogs.

Ripe berries are harvested and can be eaten fresh or used to make jam. Lingonberries are added to various fruit preserves as a natural preservative. In herbal medicine, lingonberry infusions and decoctions are used for treating diarrhea, rheumatism, gout, and as a diuretic for kidney stone treatment. In traditional medicine, lingonberry leaves are used for diabetes treatment.

Photo: www.redzet.eu

Information sources: www.latvijasdaba.lv, Wikipedia