Vaccinium oxycoccos is a widespread and common species occurring broadly across cooler climates in the temperate Northern Hemisphere, including northern Europe, northern
Asia and northern
North America. It is an
indicator of moist to wet soils which are low in nitrogen and have a high
water table. It is an indicator of
coniferous swamps. It grows in
bogs and
fens in moist forest habitat. It grows on
peat which may be saturated most of the time. The soil in bogs is acidic and low in nutrients. The plant's mycorrhizae help it obtain nutrients in this situation.
Fens have somewhat less acidic soil, which is also higher in nutrients. The plant can often be found growing on
hummocks of
Sphagnum mosses. ==Ecology==