🫐 Lingonberry (Cowberry)
Vaccinium vitis-idaea
berries
evergreen groundcover shrub
☀️ Sun
full sun to partial shade
💧 Water
moderate
🗺️ Zones
[2,3,4,5,6,7]
🧪 Soil pH
4.0-5.5
🪴 Soil Type
well-drained, sandy, peaty
📏 Spacing
12-18 inches
📐 Height
6-12 inches
Key:🤝 Grows well together❌ Keep apart☀️ Sun needs💧 Water🗺️ Hardiness zone
🤝 Companions (3)
Same acid-loving family (Vaccinium); lingonberry as groundcover beneath blueberries
Another Vaccinium; both acid bog-lovers; lingonberry handles drier conditions
Both ericaceous; lingonberry groundcover beneath rhododendron
⚠️ Keep Apart (1)
⚠️ plants needing alkaline soil
Lingonberry requires strongly acidic soil (pH 4.0-5.5); lime kills it
📝 Growing Notes
The Scandinavian cranberry , essential at every Swedish meatball dinner. An evergreen groundcover that's absurdly cold-hardy (zone 2, -50°F). Low-growing (6 inches) with glossy leaves year-round , beautiful even without berries. Needs acidic soil like blueberry.
🛒 Buy Seeds & Plants
Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds
Johnny's Selected Seeds
Botanical Interests
True Leaf Market
Burpee
Territorial Seed Company
Plot Buddies is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission at no extra cost to you. This does not affect our plant recommendations. We only link to retailers we trust.