Vaccinium 'Red Candy' Lingonberry

Vaccinium 'Red Candy' Lingonberry is a highly attractive broadleaf evergreen subshrub, also called lingonberry or cowberry bush, valued not only for fruit production but also for ornamental purposes. An early- and heavy-flowering and -fruiting variety, Vaccinium 'Red Candy' Lingonberry blooms in loose, terminal clusters of small, nodding, pink-blushed white flowers in summer followed by abundant clusters of round scarlet berries. The berries are long-lasting on the shrub and attract birds and butterflies. The tart berries can be eaten fresh off the bush but are best sweetened with sugar and used in pies or other sweet treats, such as preserves, jellies, and lingonberry jam, which is very famous and popular in Sweden. Vaccinium 'Red Candy' Lingonberry has a compact, low-growing, mat-forming habit, growing just 8 inches tall and 10 inches wide, that makes a gorgeous ground cover. Although it is an excellent container or specimen plant, it is shown to best effect when massed in the garden or landscape. Extremely cold hardy and low maintenance, Vaccinium 'Red Candy' Lingonberry grows best in shady to shade-dappled locations with humus-rich, moist, well-draining soil, having an acidic pH. A native plant, lingonberry is indigenous to North America. Native plants are not only beautiful but also environmentally friendly. Naturally adapted to the climate and soil conditions of the region, they thrive without fertilizers or extra watering, once established. They also act as natural pest controls, reducing the need for pesticides in the garden. Landscaping with native plants promotes biodiversity and provides shelter and quality food for wildlife and pollinators, bringing gardens to life.