[2] V. ovalifolium is a spreading shrub which may grow to 2 metres (6+1⁄2 ft) tall.

Berries are dark blue, often black, .5–1 cm (1⁄4–3⁄8 in) across,[6] sometimes with a waxy coating.

ovalifolium) is found on both the eastern and western sides of the Pacific Ocean.

[2][10] In Asia, it is distributed throughout Russia (Kamchatka, the southern Kuril Islands, Primorsky Krai, and Sakhalin) and Japan (Hokkaido and central and northern Honshu).

[2] The two other varieties are confined to Japan and Russia: In the winter, V. ovalifolium is an important food source for grazing deer, goats, and elk, and in the summer the nectar feeds hummingbirds.