You only find this plant in very marshy ground and this site, not far from home, is in the middle of floating bog. There is a sort of path and you can hop from tuft to tuft but there is a very real danger of falling into black slimy mud here. The fruit is of course edible but Cranberry sauce is made from the cultivated American (e.g. Wisconsin) plant not this one. The name is supposed to be derived from Crane-berry because the flowers look like Cranes - similar to Crane's-bills I suppose.

Vaccinium oxycoccos is common in Wales,the north of England and in southern Scotland but far less common in central and south eastern england and north west Scotland. In Ireland is is reasonably common but distributed more towards the north.

Flaxmere, Cheshire, 17th May 2004

Added on 6th October 2004, amended on February 5th 2005, updated 19th February 2012