[Bing]

it is called European Blueberry and suppose to be much better in taste.

and where did you get it in the first place?

thanks

[robinahood]

Bilberry is delicious, way superior to Blueberry in my opinion, however it is smaller fruit and you would need a fairly big area to get a decent crop, and for pollination.
It grows in abundance in upland areas, great for snacking on when walks! I think it must like acid soil.
It's not readily available, but I did see one site that provided the plants via the internet so might be worth a search.

[Bernard]

Bilberries are far superior to blueberry. They grow on the moor around here and they are traditionally picked when they ripen about the end of July. It used to be a great family tradition before telly etc took over, problem was that the kids (me) ate them as they picked but they were much better in a pie with plenty of sugar. However, it could take 2 people to pick enough for a 1-person pie. I think they make the most succulent pies imaginable. (Sometimes together with apple, but that is a cheap trick)

I did meet a person once who had never heard of them. I thought it very odd.

Blueberries have no worthwhile flavour by comparison but I have never heard of bilberries being grown in a garden.  'European blueberry' is a ridiculous new name devised, I suspect, by those people who don't know what bilberries are. We  have had bilberries since human occupation of this country. Blueberries have only just arrived. And as far as I am concerned, they can go back to where they came from.

Maybe you can tell, I have a blueber bee in my bonnet.

[stevejohnson53]

I have about 20 blueberry bushes growing in large plastic pots upto 30ltr pots. I have planted a bilberry in with each blueberry. However I have only done this year and the bilberries haven't fruited yet. I am expecting a crop off them next year. Enought for 1 little dishfull with luck. I look on the bilberries as a bonus crop, if it works.

I got  the bilberries of ebay, but when they arrived I got the impression they were wild and straight off the moors!

[Bernard]

I got  the bilberries of ebay, but when they arrived I got the impression they were wild and straight off the moors!

Probably so. It is wrong to do this (i.e. the seller, not yourself)
A couple of years ago we had a situation where a Haworth (of Bronte fame) grocer was selling bilberries picked from the local moor. A number of people objected, saying that it depleted the crop which should only be available to those who were prepared to pick their own. Having considered, the grocer agreed and stopped selling them.

If someone is actually digging up plants to sell, they are very wrong indeed. However, I suppose it is possible that they might have grown them from wild seed, though I imagine it would take a good few years to reach fruiting size.

On the other hand, bilberries are far more prolific in north and east Europe and Scandinavia and are commercially available from some of these areas. The fruit, that is, not the plants.

[stevejohnson53]

Not only wrong, but I am sure its illegal to dig up wild plants. Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, "it is illegal to dig up any wildflowers anywhere in the UK." However I had paid for them and no matter what fuss I kicked up, they had been dug up and he wouldn't have replanted them.

In the 70's I can remember buying dried bilberries from homebrew shop, for country wine making. I can also remember being a kid in the 60's and buying jars of bilberries in a sugar syrup. They used to make all your mouth purple and stained anything they touched.  I think the originated in Poland ( I could be wrong on country of origins, the wonder of age!)  My point is bilberries must be or have been grown commercially.

All I want is 1 dish full of bilberries next year and I'll be a happy chappy.

Steve

[upthetump]

i researched wimberry recently as i thought the blueberry plants i bought in B&M 2 years ago just didn't look right. on the Berryworks website it liated alternative names for wimberry as:
Names
 Bilberry
 Black Hearts
 Blaeberry
 Fraughan
 Myrtle Blueberry
 Whinberry
 Whortleberry
 Winberry
 Windberry
i have inadvertantly bought wimberry bushes from B&M. i googled pictures of both and i have definitely got wimberry. to my mind they have diddled me as if i want wimberry's i will go and pick them up the mountain, i bought blueberry's.  so i think if you want some bilberry plants buy B&M blueberry and you should get what you want.