Vaccinium macrocarpon Ait. (syn.: Oxycoccus macrocarpus (Ait.) Pursh) (N-Am.) – An exceptional escape from cultivation, known at least since 1957 from a single location in Kalmthout-Boterbergen (Vansteenvoort 2002, Verloove 2002). A small population is more or less naturalised in peaty heathland, probably introduced by birds. In 2019 another small colony was discovered, in similar circumstances, in Groot Schietveld in Brecht. In this locality all plants were immediately eradicated.
Vaccinium macrocarpon is cultivated for its edible fruits and is well-naturalised in neighbouring countries (Germany, the British Isles, the Netherlands). In the Netherlands it is considered to be an invasive species on the Wadden Isles (Weeda 2009).
Selected literature:
Gudžinskas Z., Petrulaitis L. & Arlikevičiūtė L. (2014) Vaccinium macrocarpon – a new alien plant species in Lithuania. Bot. Lithuanica 20(1): 41-45. [available online at: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Zigmantas_Gudzinskas]
Lippert W. & Merxmüller H. (1986) Botanische Kurzberichte. Vaccinium macrocarpon Aiton im Haspelmoor. Ber. Bayer. Bot. Ges. 57: 183-184.
Vansteenvoort D. (2002) Vaccinium macrocarpon, nog steeds aanwezig in Kalmthout. Dumortiera 79: 17.
Verloove F. (2002) Ingeburgerde plantensoorten in Vlaanderen. Mededeling van het Instituut voor Natuurbehoud n° 20: 227 p.
Weeda E.J. (2009) The role of archaeophytes and neophytes in the Dutch coastal dunes. J. Coast Conserv. 14(2): 75-79.