Myrtillier Goutte Bleue - Vaccinum cylindraceum

This astonishing Bilberry (Vaccinium cylindraceum) 'Goutte Blue' (Blautropf) is truly unique. A descendant of the Azorean bilberry, it has been selected for its compact habit as well as its ornamental qualities, making this bush well-suited to pot cultivation and small gardens. This new variety retains its foliage more or less throughout winter, displays beautiful autumn colours, and flowers from spring to summer, with clusters of long, dark pink flowers that give way to small, drop-shaped blue-black berries. The flowers and berries create a lovely colour combination until late summer. 'Goutte Bleue' is compact, decorative, easy to grow in non-calcareous soil, and requires minimal maintenance. Its small, elongated berries are delicious and refreshing.

The Bilberry belongs to the Ericaceae family, alongside heathers and rhododendrons. Vaccinium cylindraceum, native to the high-altitude forests of the Azores archipelago, is far less known than the commonly cultivated Highbush Blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum), grown for its abundant and high-quality fruit. This bush is less cold-hardy (though still tolerating -12/-14°C) but has the advantage of retaining its foliage more easily in winter and offering a long, decorative flowering period. It thrives in acidic, non-calcareous soil, in partial shade, such as morning sun.

The 'Goutte Blue' (Blautropf) cultivar, more compact than the wild species, forms a dense, rounded bush with an upright habit, reaching an average height of 1m with a spread of 60cm. Its stems are yellowish, bearing small, lanceolate, pointed leaves with dentate edges. Their colour shifts from spring and summer green to yellow and orange under cold conditions, persisting on the branches if winter is not too harsh. Flowering occurs repeatedly from late May to September, with long, vivid dark pink bell-shaped flowers (1cm long), clustered in pendulous clusters at the stem tips and leaf axils. Pollinated by insects, these flowers produce numerous dark blue to blackish, elongated, pruinose berries, which ripen from August to October. Harvesting is staggered based on fruit ripeness. The berries are firm with a tangy flavour. Bilberries are low in calories but highly nutritious, rich in vitamins A, B, and C, calcium, and iron. They contain pigments (anthocyanins) that improve night vision. Enjoy them fresh, in juices, jams, jellies, sorbets, or baked goods (pies, muffins, etc.). The berries keep for about ten days after picking and can be frozen for longer storage.

The 'Goutte Bleue' Bilberry does not require another bush, whether of the same or a different variety, to bear fruit. On terraces, balconies, patios, or in small urban gardens, it makes a truly charming bush, as decorative as it is delicious. In the garden, it blends beautifully into heathland beds alongside dwarf rhododendrons, Japanese azaleas, andromedas, heathers, and Mayberries. In large pots: monitor watering (using non-calcareous water) and fertilise regularly.