Lingonberry is used for urinary tract problems including irritation, kidney stones, and infections. It is also used for increasing urine production (as a diuretic). Other uses include treating gout, arthritis, and infections caused by viruses.

Is cowberry the same as lingonberry?

lingonberry, (Vaccinium vitis-idaea), also called cowberry, foxberry, or rock cranberry, small creeping plant of the heath family (Ericaceae), related to the blueberry and cranberry. Lingonberry plants are found throughout the Northern Hemisphere in boreal forests and tundra regions.

Are lingonberry seeds edible?

Lingonberries are tart but edible when cooked or processed. It is commonly used in juice, pie fillings, and jam.

Can you eat cowberries?

Although rarely eaten in the UK, the red berries of Cowberry are just about edible and have a sharp taste. They can be used to make jelly.

What is a cowberry tree?

With its bright red berries and evergreen leaves, cowberry (Vaccinium vitis-idaea) is one of the most distinctive plants of the Caledonian Forest ground flora.

Where can you find cowberry in Scotland?

Cowberry is widely distributed in Scotland, occurring throughout the mainland, on many of the Hebridean Islands, and in Orkney and Shetland. It grows from near sea level in some sites to an elevation of over 1,000 metres on Ben Lawers in Perthshire.

Where do cowberries grow in a forest?

With its bright red berries and evergreen leaves, cowberry (Vaccinium vitis-idaea) is one of the most distinctive plants of the Caledonian Forest ground flora. Cowberry is circumboreal in its distribution, meaning that it occurs in the boreal zone all around the northern part of the planet.

How does a cowberry plant reproduce?

Cowberry reproduces vegetatively as well, spreading by means of rhizomes, which are modified roots that can send up new shoots from their nodes. This enables cowberry to survive the fires that burn in some parts of its geographic range, with the rhizomes producing shoots after the above ground parts of the plant have been burned.