Difference Between Bilberry Leaf & Bilberry Fruit

Leaf Description

• The leaves grow from yellowish twigs which become red in full sun. This member of the blueberry family has larger leaves than its bigger counterparts, with an oval shape and slightly serrated margins. The entire leaf is regularly ridged and grows 0.4 to 1.2 inches long. The leaves turn red, yellow or brown in autumn but remain a light green the rest of the year. Cold winter temperatures cause the plant to divest itself of the leaves as it goes into a dormant state and does not leaf out again until spring.

Berry Description

• The bilberry fruit is a round to oblong berry 0.2 to 0.3 inches in diameter. The fruit is smaller than a standard blueberry but larger than a huckleberry and may be red, blue or bluish-black. The fruit contains an average of 18 to 20 seeds per berry. The plant flowers in June and produces fruit by September. The stem is thickened where it attaches onto the berry and the base is dark brown to black. The fruit has a waxy coating on the exterior of the berry which is seen as a whitish cast over the deeper true color of the fruit.

Leaf Uses

• The leaves have a high amount of carotene, manganese and carbohydrates. The nutrient density of the foliage goes up significantly in areas where the timber has been harvested. The thick foliage on the bush provides cover for grouse, quail and other birds and small animals. The gray-sided vole eats the foliage almost exclusively. As a medicinal, bilberry leaves are dried and an extract is made from them. This is used in teas and capsules to treat a variety of ailments but a high dose can be unsafe for some people.

Berry Uses

• Bilberry fruit is also dried and powdered and is considered safe in any sensible dosage. The berries can be used fresh as a steeped tea which is then strained. In nature, the fruit is eaten by wild birds and makes up a high percentage of brown bear diet. Numerous smaller animals partake of the fruit such as skunks, chipmunks, fox, mice, racoons, turkeys, grouse and tanagers. The berry is juicy and is reported to have a nutlike flavor that is excellent in jams, jellies and tarts. The berries were once important to native people as an ingredient in a dried jerky-type food that included berries and nuts.