In Poland, in contrast to large cranberry, bog cranberry is a native species. It is most often found in acidic and moist areas. Its favourite habitats include bogs, poor fens, and coniferous swamps.
Bog cranberry is a prostrate shrub reaching up to 100 cm in length. Its stems are covered with small, hardy leaves reaching up to 12 mm. Flowers appear in groups of two or three – their petals are delicately pink in colour and are inrolled. The berries are round, red, and reach up to 12 mm in diameter.
Cranberries are used for cooking, as well as in therapeutics and beauty treatment. Jams, sauces, juices, and alcoholic beverages made from cranberry enjoy large popularity. In medicine, the plant is used for the treatment of urinary tract diseases, and it decreases the risk of heart diseases and stomach ulcers. It also treats fever.