Many of us are very familiar with the blueberry, raspberry, blackberry, and boysenberry (just to name a few), but there's not much attention drawn toward the bilberry, cloudberry, or lingonberry.

Honestly, before penning this hub, I was only aware of one - the bilberry.

Where are these berries indigenous to, and what health benefits do they provide?

Indigenous to northern, central and eastern Europe, these three berries grow wild and provide great health benefits.

The Bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus)

Also called whortleberry; bilberries are sweet berries resembling what we know as blueberries. Often turned into juice, jams, puddings, or sauce, this juicy berry is great in pastries (ever heard of a bilberry pie?) and a nice bowl of milk.

Humorously, eating bilberries does tend to dye one's mouth and lips a nice shade of blue. It is for this reason that it has also been called the gossip berry.

* Health Benefits - Due to it's dense levels of anthocyanin pigments, the bilberry has been known to lower a persons risks for several disease such as cancer; diseases of the heart and cardiovascular system; and diseases of the eye.

Even it's leaves are used to prevent some infections and skin diseases, and to treat gastrointestinal ailments.

The Cloudberry(Rubus chamaemorus)

Sometimes called the "gold of the swamps" (since they thrive in remote places such as swamps), the cloudberry is a sweet berry that is used in various types of desserts; as a topping for waffles and ice-cream; turned into jam; or made into liquor. It's edible uses are too numerous to name.

* Health Benefits - The cloud-berry contains about three to four times more vitamin C than an orange, and is brimming with vitamin A. Even the tea from it's leaves have been used to cure urinary tract infections.

The Lingonberry(Vaccinium vitis-idaea)

A close relative of the cranberry, this tangy berry has been turned into jelly, puree, pudding, juice, pastries, and sauces.

* The Health Benefits - Lingonberries provide a bevy of nutrients such as; pro-vitamin A, vitamins B1, B2, B3, vitamin C, phosphorus, calcium, magnesium, and potassium. In addition to it's seeds being rich in Omega-3 fatty acids, lingonberries also contain phytochemicals - thought to counteract urinary-tract infections.

Although little known, these little berries pack a powerful punch!