The lingonberry, Vaccinium vitis-idaea, is a low-growing, circumpolar, evergreen groundcover closely related to partridgeberry. The berries ripen in August and are red, tart, and smaller than cranberries but with a finer flavor. Lingonberries, like blueberries, thrive in acid soils, pH 3.5 to 5. Their fragile root systems spread through the superficial soil layers by runners which develop buds and new shoots. Plants are small and slow to establish. They require hand-weeding, mulching, attention to pH, and frequent watering during the first two seasons. Lingonberries are beautiful and delicate-looking ornamentals. They will produce more fruit in full sun, but the plants will grow in dappled shade. If you have mountain property with a pH low enough to grow wild blueberries, lingonberries will do well for you!  All varieties are hardy to at least -45°F.