Herbalism Journal

[Oriel]

Bilberry _________________________________________ Plant is small, only about a half a foot in height. It has a bush structure, with one woody stem rooting out from the dirt and many branches splitting out from said stem. Color is a pale brown, like that of an oak tree. Tiny green leaves sprout from the edges of the branches, about a fingertip in length. Small berries about a centimeter in diameter. Color ranges from a light yellow to a red-orange. This plant is not poisonous and the berries are edible. Fruit has a rubber-like texture, which is a thin outer wall. Inside is fleshy and very juicy. A tiny, brown, oval shaped seed in the middle of the berry. The berries grow along the branches in large clusters, each with their own tiny green stem connecting it to the plant. The plant grows in groves, needs sun, but wind may harm it. The fruit's outer wall has a very low resistance and the texture is very unappealing when eaten. The taste is very juicy and fresh, it has a very light sweet taste, and a bit bitter when not ripe.