Herbs from Distant Lands: Vaccinium luzoniense

PLANT PROFILE

Vaccinium luzoniense is a subtropical, evergreen relative of Blueberries and Bilberries, endemic to Luzon Island of the Philippines. It was first described by Sebastian Vidal, Spanish botanist in 1886 but until now it is barely recorded species at all. It is very similar to other scarcely known endemic Filipino species like Vaccinium barandanum, Vaccinium cumingianum and Vaccinium cebuense. Those species are characteristic and unique from other Vaccinium species, for the fact that it usually becomes a small tree (around 8m height), and for it's leaves with pointy end, glossy surface and red color when young.
Most of those species very similar to V. luzoniense can be found only in high mountains of Cordillera region in north of Luzon (1500 - 2200), where locals calls it Lusong, Lusung or Dusong and value it for it's berries.

I first found this plant in forest near Bakakeng, Baguio, and it attracted my attention by the beauty of it's leaves. It was all old green leaves, but so leathery, smooth and shiny, like if polished with wax, with distinct shape, and totally immaculate, no sign of pests of diseases (unlike on plants surrounding it). It looked so strong, healthy, full of life energy. There was no flowers or fruits on it, and I had no clue what it might be. So the only way to know it better without risking poisoning, was to crush it's leaves and smells it. And the smell was lovely. Gentle, refreshing and somehow bit familiar.
Many months later I saw the same high bushes while hiking to Mount Santo Tomas. I recognized it by its unique shape and texture of older leaves. But this time I also saw much more of it's beauty. The tops of it's stems was covered in vivid, light red colored young leaves. An there was also clusters of pretty, small, bell shaped flowers on older branches. And thanks to that characteristic flower shape I already knew what kind of plant that is. I knew that it have to be related to Blueberries, and therefore like all the other Vaccinium species it should be useful for it's edible berries. And since leaves and berries of some of the species from Vaccinium genus are used as herbal medicine. I had a thought that this unique species can be more valuable than just being edible fruit plant.
Some time later I was proved right. It was in small village on the way from Mt. Cabuyao to Mt. Santo Tomas, when I saw small bush with those characteristic red leaves in a private garden. It was a garden with predominantly herbal plants and vegetables. I started to investigate an older woman that was there about the plants she grew. And with the linguistic help from my trip companion, that knew local dialect. I found out that the plant is known there as Lusong, and not only it's berries are eaten but also it's sour, young leaves, just like the leaves of Medinilla pendula which she was growing next to that plant.
Culinary use of Vaccinium luzoniense leaves is one of those wisdoms, that most probably never been recorded in any form. Those wisdoms, of which most is dying when the last wise elder is taking it to the grave. Because sadly young people here in the Philippines are mostly not interested in those things, so there is no one to pass this knowledge to next generations.
Apart for it's underutilized potential as a berries fruit plant and leafy vegetable, and possible medicinal values. Vaccinium luzoniense and it's very close relatives like Vaccinium Barandanum, has big unused potential as a ornamental plant. It's young leaves has beautiful vivid bright red or pink colour, while it's older green leaves are attractively glossy, and turn red again when very old before dropping. Also it's tiny flowers gathered in clusters, creamy white on V. luzoniense, and red on V. barandanum shows a lots of cuteness, and it's big black berries has some charm too.
It think that those plants can be also useful as a soil erosion prevention plants in mountains, and as windbreak.

I would like to invite everyone that have any more knowledge about those Filipino Vaccinium species, to share it with us in the comment section under this article, or write to my email - adamfarsenuk@gmail.com . It will be much appreciated.

CULTIVATION AND HARVESTING

Vaccinium luzoniense can only be found growing wild in high mountains of Cordillera (1500 - 2200). It is robust evergreen bush that turns with age into a small tree up to around 8m height. When the plants are already bigger and has strong roots, it can grow at fast rate, around 1,5m a year. But even strong big old plants has it's growth pace restrained to minimum, when it grows on rocks with very little soil at all.
V. luzoniense is a very tough plant, it can survive extreme mountainous conditions, like scorching sun, extreme heat and severe long term droughts, as well as torrential rains, extreme humidity, dampness of the soil and extremely strong winds. But as a subtropical plant it probably wouldn't survive proper frosts. It's growth is most rapid during periods from March to April and September to November. So it is the time when young red or pink leaves (it's young leaves can be also green if it don't have enough sun), are soft even when fully grown. And those young soft leaves are the one that can be picked to be used as a vegetable. Older leaves are pretty tough, but it can be still harvested to be used for making tea or for use in cooking for flavour like Bay Leaf.
The flowers appear on Vaccinium luzoniense around April and the fruits get ripe around July.

CULINARY USES

Young, soft leaves of Vaccinium luzoniense are crispy, very sour and slightly tart. I've been told that it is used for cooking to add it's sourness to meals. But I like very much to eat it fresh, as a refreshing appetizer. Older green leaves are bit more astringent than the red young one, but it is also very sour, and can also be used for cooking, in a same way like Bay Leaf.
Both young soft and older tough leaves of Lusong, are good to make a pleasantly tasting tea with nice aroma. When it is made from dried one, it looses a lot from it's sourness and seems more astringent. But infusion made from fresh Lusong leaves is pretty sour and very revitalizing.
Lusong fruits are eaten fresh as snacks or are turned into jams, jellies, candies or juice. Unfortunately I missed the moment when it was ripe, due to occurrences of torrential rains at that time. And the fact that the Lusong plants that I know grows in places that are hard to get to, even during nice dry weather. But I hope to be able to try how it taste next year and update this chapter.

MEDICINAL USES

Although I didn't found any information about any traditional medicinal use of Vaccinium luzoniense, Vaccinium barandanum or other closely related Vaccinium species from Cordillera. Not only my own empiric experiences are telling me that Lusong fresh leaves or it's infusions, are so refreshing, revitalizing and invigorating, that it certainly posses some healing properties. But also in many different cultures, leaves or fruits of many different Vaccinium species are used as herbal remedies.
For example :
Vaccinium myrtillus (Bilberry) - leaves infusions are used in the treatment of diabetes, atherosclerosis, ischemic heart disease, urinary tract infections, eyes problems like poor vision, retinopathy, choroid diseases. Dried fruits are consumed for diarrhea, diabetes, hypertension, hemeralopia (day-blindness), eyes inflammations, kidneys inflammation, varicose veins. Fresh fruits are used as gentle laxative.
Vaccinium corymbosum (High-Bush Blueberry) - leaves are used in the treatment of sore throats and other inflammations of the mouth or mucous membranes of the throat, as well as in the treatment of infant's colic and as blood purifier. The fruits if taken regularly, is said to improve the circulation, especially of the small blood vessels, which can help prevent eye problems such as cataracts and glaucoma, it is also beneficial in ulcers, urinary tract infections, multiple sclerosis, chronic fatigue syndrome, fever, varicose veins and hemorrhoids. Traditionally, the smoke from burning dried blueberry flowers is inhaled as a treatment of insanity.
Vaccinium myrtilloides (Velvetleaf Blueberry) - leaves decoction has been used to treat various complaints of the female reproductive system. It has been used to bring on a delayed period, to prevent pregnancy, to prevent a miscarriage and to slow excessive menstrual bleeding.
Vaccinium vitis-idaea (Cowberry) - leaves are used in the treatment of gonorrhea, arthritis, rheumatism, diabetes and diarrhoea ; fruits as a remedy for diarrhoea, sore throats, coughs, colds and urinary tract infections.
Vaccinium scoparium (Grouseberry) - infusions of the dried, pulverized leaves are used in the treatment of nausea and to increase the appetite, dried and powdered fruits are given to children to improve their appetite.

That is why I hope that I will inspire here some people to do deep research on medicinal potential of those unique Filipino plants. Because in times when unpredictable climate becomes brutal and threatening to conventional food and medicine plant crops, highly resistant plants like V. luzoniense might soon become a salvation.

CONTRAINDICATIONS

Leaves (and in lesser amounts also fruits) of most of Vaccinium species contain arbutin and hydrochinon, therefore long-term consumption of big amounts can possibly cause liver damage or cause other harm to health. But there are no reported side effects that would indicate that moderate, regular short-term use of leaves or fruits of those Vaccinium species could be not safe.