#78 Bilberry by Ian Brand
Meet Ian Brand, president of Wharfedale Naturalists!
After spending forty plus very varied and happy years in medicine, the last twenty-two as a hospital consultant at Airedale General,Ian is rekindling his teenage interest for the natural world, and in particular botany. Ian now writes a regular nature notes column for four local newspapers, gives numerous talks to natural history/scientific societies, and gardening groups, and is actively involved in conservation. His teenage passion instilled by an inspirational teacher, has now recently led to him becoming the president of the Wharfedale Naturalists. The Wharfedale Naturalists are a thriving natural history society with over 600 enthusiastic members.
When not out botanising, Ian can be found out walking, cycling and running around his beloved Wharfedale, and in the evenings at the Ilkley cinema, meeting with family and friends, or enjoying a pre-dinner pint at his local - The Hermit in Burley Woodhead.
Ian is married to Huw, having met as teenagers at respectively medical and dental school in Cardiff in 1976. They have lived in Burley Woodhead for the past thirty years.
Ian’s chosen species is Bilberry Vaccinium myrtillus, one of his favourite plants. Ian lives in Wharfedale next to Burley Moor (part of Rombolds Moor), where Bilberry grows in profusion on the lower slopes. It is a walk he regularly takes, walking past the bare green twigs in winter, to the bright lime green foliage and small pink flowers in late spring, to be followed by the dark purple berries of late summer - when of course, it's time to go bilberrying.
If you only visit the countryside three times a year, then make sure to include a Bluebell wood in May, a traditional dales hay meadow in June, then come August, climb up to the moors.
When we enter the second half of summer, it is almost time for that moorland visit. Heather turns our moorland into a carpet of purple, which stretches for mile after mile. Although Heather steals the show, Ian is rather a fan of the Bilberry, but it is often overlooked in favour of its Ericaceous big brother. More shade and cold tolerant than heather, it is often found on north facing slopes and occasionally growing in woodland.
Unlike Heather, Bilberry is deciduous. During winter, the bare green twigs look rather forlorn and sad, but in spring it produces these amazing bright, lime-green leaves. This is quickly followed by delicate small urn-shaped flowers, which develop into the small blue-black berries with a grape-like bloom that gives the plant its name. You can always tell when they are ready to pick; the Wood Pigeons’ droppings turn purple!
Bilberrying was once a popular late summer activity just like blackberrying. Each part of the UK has its own local name for the small black berry; Whim or Whinberry in the Welsh borders, Blaeberry in Scotland and Whortleberry in the West Country. Sadly, bilberrying is not as popular as it once was. The berries are small and hidden under the leaves, which makes it a hands-and-knees job. There has also been the arrival in our supermarkets of the closely related, larger but less tasty American blueberry Vaccinium corymbosum. Both have achieved cult status as ‘super foods’ in recent years due to the high levels of Anthocycanins, which gives the berries their dark purple colour and antioxidant effects with the reputed health benefits. Either way, Bilberry tarts were once popular in Yorkshire, where for obvious reasons they were known as ‘mucky mouth pies’. Bilberry has also been used traditionally for treating gastrointestinal disorders and the leaves used to control blood sugar levels in people with diabetes.
A Bilberry plant blooming (L), and the twigs in winter (R).
Bilberry plants can also be a useful indicator of sheep grazing intensity. Un-grazed it can grow up to 1 metre in height with straight shoots and abundant flowers and fruit. Meanwhile, when grazing is intense, the plant can be nibbled down to just 5cm. Finally, make sure to also visit our moors on a warm day in May, when if you are lucky and look carefully you will find the small but beautiful Green Hairstreak butterfly which has chosen Bilberry as its larval food plant.
Recording and monitoring
Records of Bilberry and other plants can be submitted to your local LERC, uploaded to iRecord or shared directly with your local VC recorder.
Green Hairstreak on Bilberry.
Further information and acknowledgements
NEYEDC would like to thank Ian for his time and expertise in helping to create this blog. Wharfedale Naturalists are a thriving natural history society with currently over 600 enthusiastic members. During the summer they have 40 outdoor events, and 20 in the winter, including 12 talks. Each week a nature notes article is emailed to all members (written by five local naturalists), there are organised conservation work parties, and with their funds, grants are made to local wildlife projects. Find out more at - www.wharfedale-nats.org.uk.