Lingonberry: beneficial properties and uses

Dr. Boris Wydoff

Lingonberry (*Vaccinium vitis-idaea*) is an evergreen forest shrub with an upright stem, leathery leaves and juicy red berries. The leaves contain arbutin, tannins and flavonoids. They have traditionally been used in water infusions and decoctions. The berries are used as food material and for making drinks.

What kind of plant is lingonberry and how can you identify it?

Lingonberry belongs to medicinal forest plants. It widely grows in coniferous and mixed coniferous-deciduous forests. In pine forests, lingonberry can form large thickets. The plant is found throughout the forest zone and forms patches of different sizes.

Lingonberry is a small evergreen shrub. Its important distinguishing feature is the upright stem. It is by this feature that it can be distinguished from bearberry, which has a creeping stem.

The stems branch strongly and are covered with dark brown bark. The leaves are small, leathery, dense and glossy. They do not fall off in winter. The leaf shape is elliptical or oval, narrowing towards the base.

The edges of the leaves are rolled inward, sometimes finely toothed. On the lower, lighter side, dark brown dotted glands are clearly visible. Lingonberry leaves do not have the net-like veins characteristic of blueberry leaves.

Lingonberry blooms in May–June. The fruits ripen in August–September. The berries are red, juicy and contain several seeds. This is another important characteristic of the plant: unlike bearberry, lingonberry berries are not mealy inside.

When harvesting leaves, it is especially important not to confuse lingonberry with related plants. Blueberry leaves are thin and membranous, and their lower side is matte, bluish-green. Raised net-like veins are visible on it. Lingonberry leaves are denser, and brown dotted glands can be seen underneath.

Bearberry looks even more similar to lingonberry. However, it has a creeping stem. Bearberry fruits are mealy inside, while lingonberry berries are juicy. Lingonberry leaves also differ by their rolled edges and dark dots on the lower side.

Where does lingonberry grow?

Lingonberry is characteristic of pine forests, especially dry pine woods and lingonberry-rich areas. In places where it grows, it can occur in large quantities and form extensive thickets. Other forest plants, including bilberry and heather, often grow together with it in coniferous forests.

Lingonberry beneficial properties: what is known about its composition?

The main medicinal raw material is the leaves. They contain arbutin in an amount of about 6–9%. Tannins, the flavonoid hyperoside and ursolic acid are also noted.

Another description of the composition mentions methylarbutin, hydroquinone derivatives, tartaric, gallic, quinic and ellagic acids, as well as other flavonoids. This composition explains why lingonberry leaves have long been used in herbal preparations.

When fresh leaves are crushed, they release volatile phenolic compounds. For practical use, this primarily means that fresh and dried raw materials are not completely identical in their properties.

The berries differ from the leaves in composition. They contain about 2% organic acids. Among them is benzoic acid. The berries contain about 8–10% sugars, and pectin is also present.

This combination of substances determines the nutritional value of the fruits. Lingonberry berries are used fresh and for preparing drinks and other products. Leaves, on the other hand, are harvested primarily as medicinal plant material.

Why is lingonberry leaf traditionally valued?

Lingonberry leaves have traditionally been used in herbal remedies with diuretic, astringent and antiseptic directions. In old herbal manuals, they are included in water infusions and decoctions.

Particular attention was paid to the urinary system. In folk recipes, lingonberry herb and leaves were included in water decoctions that were drunk as a diuretic. The leaves were also included in preparations traditionally used for disorders of the bladder and kidneys.

One of the well-known components of the leaf is arbutin. In plant material, it is considered one of the characteristic compounds of lingonberry. The composition of the leaves is also associated with tannins and the flavonoid hyperoside.

The astringent direction of use is primarily associated with tannins. Therefore, lingonberry leaf is also found in old recipes for gastrointestinal use. In some folk recipes, a water decoction with lingonberry was used as a stomach remedy.

The berries have a different purpose. They are eaten, used for drinks and other food products. Due to the presence of benzoic acid, the fruits can remain fresh for a relatively long time.

How are the leaves and berries used?

Water infusions and decoctions are described for the leaves. The raw material can be used separately or included in herbal mixtures.

In folk practice, lingonberry herb appears in different combinations. However, complex multi-component mixtures cannot be considered universal recipes. Their composition may include other medicinal plants with their own limitations.

Therefore, in everyday use, I would not transfer old multi-component recipes into modern self-treatment. Particular caution is needed with concentrated preparations made from leaves.

A simpler option is related to drinks made from plant material. Herbal manuals describe water infusions and decoctions with lingonberry. The berries are also used to prepare water-based drinks.

It is important to distinguish between leaves and berries. The leaf is medicinal raw material with a noticeable content of arbutin and tannins. The berry is primarily a food product and contains sugars, organic acids and pectin.

The exact amount of plant material and the intake schedule should depend on the specific preparation. There is no universal dosage for every lingonberry leaf infusion.

What should you know about harvesting leaves?

Lingonberry leaves are harvested at specific times. One traditional period is early spring, when raw material is collected from under the snow and before flowering begins. There is also another harvesting period: August, when new grown leaves appear. Leaves collected during flowering in summer may turn black when dried. For harvesting, the above-ground part of the plant is usually cut. After drying, the leaves are separated from the stems. They can be removed by hand or the dried herb can be threshed, discarding the stem parts.

Before drying, the raw material is sorted. Damaged and blackened leaves are removed. This is important for the quality of the finished plant material.

Lingonberry leaves are dried in dark rooms or attics. This method helps preserve the green colour. The finished raw material consists of leaves of characteristic shape, without smell, with a bitter-astringent taste.

High-quality leaves have a dense, leathery structure. The upper side has a green shade, while the lower side is lighter. Dark dotted glands are clearly visible on it.

How is the raw material properly cleaned?

Small leathery lingonberry leaves are inconvenient to collect one by one, so branches are usually cut first. After drying, the leaves are removed or threshed, and the stem parts are discarded. Final cleaning is carried out after sifting the raw material.

When assessing quality, attention is paid to the amount of blackened leaves, foreign impurities and other plant parts. Older requirements for medicinal raw materials separately considered moisture content and impurity levels.

How to store the finished raw material?

After drying, the leaves should remain dry and clean. In older regulatory requirements for medicinal raw materials, moisture, the amount of browned and blackened leaves, impurities from other plant parts, and organic and mineral impurities were separately controlled.

For lingonberry leaf, it is also important not to leave a large amount of stems. They are removed after drying. The more carefully the cleaning is done, the easier it is to assess the quality of the raw material by appearance.

Well-dried leaves retain their characteristic shape and density. The raw material has practically no smell. The taste is described as bitter-astringent. I recommend not collecting raw material from plants that cannot be confidently identified. For medicinal plants, an identification error is more important than the convenience of home harvesting.

How to find lingonberry abroad

Abroad, lingonberry is easier to find by its local name and Latin name. Use *Vaccinium vitis-idaea*: the word “cranberry” may refer to another species.

• USA: lingonberry or cowberry. Dried leaves in loose form, dried berries and liquid extracts of young shoots can be found for sale. Look primarily among online herb sellers and supplement stores.
• Germany: Preiselbeere. You can find dried leaves, tea blends with leaves, capsules with fruit extract and liquid extracts of fruits or buds and young shoots. Check pharmacies (Apotheken), Reformhäuser, tea and herbal shops and online stores.
• France: airelle rouge, also airelle du mont Ida. Look for dried leaves for tisane and liquid bud or young shoot macerates (macérat de bourgeons/jeunes pousses). Pharmacies, herboristeries, health food stores and online stores are suitable.

Check the packaging for *Vaccinium vitis-idaea* and the plant part: leaf/Blatt/feuille, fruit/Frucht/fruit or bud/young shoot/Knospe/bourgeon. Check whether other species are present, whether the tea is a medicinal product or simply a food infusion, and whether organic certification is confirmed. Flowers and roots are not among the verified forms.

Sales rules differ between countries: in the USA, dietary supplements do not undergo prior FDA approval for safety or effectiveness, while in Germany the designation Arzneitee means medicinal tea and must be indicated in the product classification.

Lingonberry contraindications: when is caution needed?

Lingonberry leaves and preparations based on them cannot automatically be equated with ordinary food. Concentrated plant material contains arbutin and a significant amount of tannins, so long-term independent use cannot be considered proven safe.

In kidney diseases, the use of leaf preparations requires special caution and prior consultation with a doctor. Old recipes often combined lingonberry with other plants, so the safety of a particular mixture depends not only on lingonberry.

During pregnancy and breastfeeding, medicinal use of leaves is better not started independently. For children, medicinal dosages of leaf material should also not be selected without a specialist.

An allergic reaction to the plant is a reason to stop use and seek medical help if pronounced symptoms occur.

With regular medication use, the use of concentrates and extracts from leaves should be discussed with a doctor. This is especially important for chronic diseases and when a long course is needed.

Ordinary consumption of berries as food differs from the use of medicinal plant material. Berries have a food composition and are used in the diet, while leaves are harvested as medicinal raw material.

When is a doctor needed?

A doctor should be consulted for pronounced or prolonged symptoms rather than trying to replace diagnosis with herbal remedies. Consultation is needed in case of allergy or unusual reactions after consuming lingonberry, during pregnancy and breastfeeding, as well as when using plant preparations in children. With chronic diseases and regular medication use, the use of concentrated leaf preparations is better discussed with a specialist in advance.

If symptoms are related to the kidneys or urinary tract, treatment should be prescribed by a doctor. A herbal drink does not replace examination and prescribed medical care.

Boris Wydoff — naturopath and author, Ph.D. in nutrition. For over fifty years I have helped people restore health through nutrition, cleansing and the power of the mind — in Europe, America and Asia. About the author →

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