Vaccinium praestans

Description

Vaccinium praestans orVaccinium praestans - Lamb. or Kamchatka bilberry, is a perennial shrub in the Ericaceae family, which includes species like cranberries, blueberries, and huckleberries. In Russia this plant is known as the "Klopovka", or "the stink-bug berry," due to its distinct, potent scent, resembling that of a secretion produced by bugs of Heteroptera genus. The plant is native to Kamchatka but can be found in North America to Eastern Asia. Mostly growing in the wild, it is also enjoyed as an ornamental plant, most commonly in Japan, where it is used to decorate home gardens. Like many other species in the Ericaceae family, its berries are edible.