BLUEBERRY Vaccinium uliginosum

 Description: Plant

Low to upright dwarf shrub; fragrant deciduous leaves; bell-like flowers, white, pink or green; blue-black fruit.

Habitat:

In thickets, forests, cleared areas, tundra, peat, burn areas.

Uses:

Blueberries are, of course, an important food for people in Interior Alaska, as well as for bears, birds, foxes & smaller animals. Blueberry leaves make good, sweet tea. They are used as a diuretic or to treat diarrhea.

Special Harvest or Processing Comments:

Blueberries mold very quickly, so they must be processed very quickly.  Homesteaders preserve blueberries by heavy sugaring & storing in cold holes until freeze up.  For commercial purposes, berries should be processed immediately or frozen.  Leaves should be gathered before fruiting begins to obtain the freshest, most fragrant leaves, & to avoid a messy harvest of leaves & squashed berries.