Vaccinium cespitosum is a low-lying plant rarely reaching half a meter (1.5 feet) in height which forms a carpet-like stand in rocky mountainous meadows.

The dwarf bilberry foliage is reddish-green to green and the flowers are tiny urn-shaped light pink cups less than a centimeter (<0.4 inches) wide.

[3] Vaccinium cespitosum is widespread across much of Canada including all three Arctic territories, as well as the northern and western United States, Mexico, and Guatemala.

[5][3][6] Its native habitats include gravelly or rocky meadows and mountain slopes.

Where bilberry is common, it can be found at higher elevations and in spruce-fir forest.