2020

White Blueberries - an Alternative to Black Mouths

“I found an area of about 2 square metres full of white blueberries in Sece Forest District. I had heard that there were such berries, but I did not believe it, because it just could not be real! But they are real – berries and leaves are of the same size, the taste is the same as the usual taste of black blueberries, only the mouth does not get black,” LVM Environmental Expert Vija Kreile tells about her unexpected discovery in LVM Vidusdaugava region.

It is a rare form of white blueberries Vaccinium myrtillus var. leucocarpum. They have been spotted in a number of different places in Latvia: Atašiene, Inčukalns, Zalve, Jēkabpils, Prauliena and Ventspils.

Latvian State Forest Research Institute “Silava” carried out a research on genetic resources of blueberry (Vaccinium) species in 2017–2020. Objects of the study also include three populations of white blueberries.

Project manager, researcher, Dr.biol. Agnese Gailīte admits that white blueberries are more common in Lithuania. White blueberries grown in different places in Latvia are genetically different, but those that have grown in one place with genetic markers did not differ. This means that there is one plant in each place that has spread vegetatively.

“Let's look closely, now is the time to observe blueberry and blackberry berries in a range of unusual colours,” says the environmental expert.

Everyone who has interest in Latvia’s state forests has an opportunity to relax in the fresh air and go home with a full basket of forest bounties – various mushrooms and berries. Not only with blueberries and bog lingonberries, but also wild strawberries and raspberries growing in clearings and lingonberries found in young stands. However, it is worth knowing and remembering some important prerequisites for a pleasant rest in the forest, such as compliance with fire safety requirements and collecting waste upon leaving.

LVM GEO application will help to plan the most exciting route; it contains information on more than 300 tourist sites throughout Latvia, which are maintained and restored by LVM every year. This app also contains information about well-maintained recreation areas with camp-site places, where it is possible to regain strength after a walk enjoying the beauty of the forest – an adventure in the spirit of #letsgotoforest.

In order to reduce the spread of ASF in nature, LVM and the Food and Veterinary Service (FVS) calls on any Latvian resident who finds a dead wild boar while berry picking, mushrooming, hunting, working, playing sports or walking, to report it to the FVS territorial unit or local government in the territory of which the boar was found by calling 29394696.