Lingonberry, also referred to as cowberry, is a prostrate shrub reaching from 15 to 25 cm. The species prefers acidic soils. It can be found in wetland bogs, heaths, and coniferous tree stands.
The stems are woody near the ground, while their upper parts are covered with many small hardy leaves. In contrast to bilberry, the flowers of lingonberry grow in pendant racemes. The petals are white to white-pink, and there is a light yellow mark among them. Fruits, which are initially cream-coloured, get red with time. They are shiny and reach the dimeter of up to 10 mm.
Lingonberry fruits are bitter-acid. They are the basic ingredient for the Cumberland sauce, which is based on lingonberry jelly. In Poland, sauces based on lingonberry are served with game meat. In therapeutics, the fruits are valued for their diuretic and antidiarrheal properties. They treat poor digestion.
In Polish folk tradition, lingonberry branches were used for the decoration of Easter baskets.