Bilberry
(Vaccinium myrtillus L., Ericaceae)
Also called: Whortleberry, Huckleberry, Whinberry, Blaeberry, Truckleberry and Blackhearts.
Description: The berries grow on a small, branched shrub
which has small, rose red wax-like flowers, followed by dark blue berries.
Small, partly woody, deciduous shrub, 20-50 cm (8-20in) high.
Leaves about 1 cm (0.4in) long, oval to lanceolate with finely dentate margins,
green, thin.
Flowers greenish, solitary or in pairs in the leaf axils, bell-shaped,
about 5mm (0.2in) broad.
Flowering: May-June;
Fruit maturing: July-September
Habitat and Collection: Woods and forest meadows of Europe
and northern Asia;
In rich humus on plains and up to 2,700m (8,800ft).
Common throughout most of Britain, on heaths, moors and woods on acid soils.
Commonly wild-harvested.
The leaves are collected in June-August and are dried in the shade.
The fruits are collected when ripe and are dried either in the shade or in
sunlight at less than 55° C (130° F).
Constituents and Action: The chief active principle of the
fruits is tannin, it is thus an anti-diarroeal, especially when dried.
The leaves contain substances that slightly lower the level of blood sugar.
Narrowing of the arteries, diarrhoea, bruises, varicose veins, haemorrhoids,
mouth and throat inflammations.
Eye conditions such as night blindness, cataracts, macular degeneration and
diabetic retinopathy.
Bilberry extract is very useful as an application for treating skin diseases
such as scaly eczema and other eczemas which are not moist or pustulous.
It is also good for burns and scalds.
Forms available: Capsules, tablets. Some products are standardised
to 25 per cent anthocyanosides.
Parts Used: Dried fruit, at times also the dried leaves.
Usage: Generally the berries are taken as such for diarrhoea
(chew well and swallow 50-100 g (1.75-3.5oz) of dried berries or, preferably,
allow them to swell in water, raise to the boil, cool and swallow).
The decoction (allow to swell 1 table-spoonful of fruits in 2 tumblerfuls
of water, boil for 5 minutes and decant) is used as a mouthwash for inflammation
of the mouth and throat.
For diabetes a decoction of bilberry leaves mixed with kidney beans and other
drugs (boil for 5-10 minutes) is taken over a prolonged period of time (very
feeble action).
For varicose veins or skin some extract should be spread thickly on the cleansed
skin with a soft sterile brush, and covered with a thin layer of cotton wool
and held with a bandage.
Change the dressing daily.
Caution: May interact with anticoagulant drugs.
Bilberry juice will stain linen or paper purple.
The berries are delicious in a fruit pie eaten with cream.
