This article is about blueberry jam wild “European” blueberry. For the commonly cultivated “American” blueberry, see Blueberry.

Look up bilberry in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. The name “bilberry” appears to have a Scandinavian origin, possibly from as early as 1577, being similar to the Danish word bølle for whortleberry with the addition of “berry”. Derbyshire, Lancashire, along the Anglo-Welsh border, and south Wales, amongst other places. This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources.

North American blueberries, although the species are closely related and belong to the same genus, Vaccinium. Bilberries and blueberries contain diverse anthocyanins, specifically anthocyanidins, including delphinidin and cyanidin glycosides. These species, with the exception of V. Bilberries are found in acidic, nutrient-poor soils throughout the temperate and subarctic regions of the world. They are difficult to grow and the fruit is small, so they are seldom cultivated. In most of the country, the closely related bláber occupy the same habitat.

In Ireland, the fruit is known as fraughan, from the Irish fraochán, and is traditionally gathered on the last Sunday in July, known as “Fraughan Sunday”. Bilberries were also collected at the Celtic festival of Lughnasadh in August, the first traditional harvest festival of the year. The fruits are eaten fresh or made into jams, fools, juices or pies. In France and Italy they are used as a base for liqueurs and are a popular flavoring for sorbets and other desserts. RAF pilots were said to have consumed bilberry jam during World War II to sharpen their night vision for missions in the dark, although there is no medical evidence for bilberries providing such an effect. Bilberry plants can suffer from bilberry blight, caused by Phytophthora kernoviae.