Herb latin name: Vaccinium nummularia


Family: Ericaceae (Heath Family)



Edible parts of Vaccinium nummularia:

Fruit - raw or cooked. The fruit is about 6mm in diameter.

Description of the plant:



Plant:
Evergreen
Shrub

Height:
30 cm
(11 3/4 inch)

Flowering:
April
to May

Habitat of the herb:

On rocks and as a forest epiphyte, to altitudes up to 4000 metres. Rocky places of montane forest understories, thickets on mountain slopes at elevations of 2000 - 3500 metres.

Other uses of Vaccinium nummularia:

A good ground cover, it is ideal for clothing banks.

Propagation of the herb:

Seed - sow late winter in a greenhouse in a lime-free potting mix and only just cover the seed. Stored seed might require a period of up to 3 months cold stratification. Another report says that it is best to sow the seed in a greenhouse as soon as it is ripe. Once they are about 5cm tall, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in a lightly shaded position in the greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. Cuttings of half-ripe wood, 5 - 8cm with a heel, August in a frame. Slow and difficult. Layering in late summer or early autumn. Another report says that spring is the best time to layer. Takes 18 months. Division of suckers in spring or early autumn.

Cultivation of Vaccinium nummularia:

On rocks and as a forest epiphyte, to altitudes up to 4000 metres. Rocky places of montane forest understories, thickets on mountain slopes at elevations of 2000 - 3500 metres.

Medicinal use of the herb:

None known

Known hazards of Vaccinium nummularia:

None known

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.