The Cowberry (Vaccinium vitis-idaea) belongs to Ericaceae (the Azalea family). It is an evergreen shrub that is distributed northward from Chubu district of Honshu to Hokkaido and Shikoku in Japan. It is also widely distributed in the arctic and subarctic zones in the northern hemisphere. This shrub grows on the forest edges of coniferous forests and under the alpine thickets of Dwarf Siberian pine, and can reach about 10 cm in height. The leaves are elliptic, thick and glossy. The small white flowers bloom in June to August. The flowers are bell-shaped and the corollas are four-lobate. The fruits ripen in red and have sweet and sour flavor. They are used in raw diet, jam and fruit wine. Its Chinese name is "越橘" (yue ju).