Thiessen Saskatoon (Serviceberry) vs Bilberry - TreeTime.ca

Thiessen Saskatoon (Serviceberry) vs Bilberry

Vaccinium myrtillus

Amelanchier alnifolia Thiessen

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

COMING SOON

(new stock expected: fall of 2025)

Bilberry
Thiessen Saskatoon (Serviceberry)

American Black Currant is a native deciduous shrub known for its clusters of small black berries that ripen in mid-to-late summer. The berries are edible and have long been used for fresh eating, preserves, and baking. They provide food for birds and mammals, and their fragrant spring flowers attract bees and other pollinators.

American Black Currant’s foliage serves as a host plant for butterfly species such as the Green Comma and Gray Comma, and its dense branching offers cover for wildlife. The shrub has traditionally been planted in shelterbelts, riparian buffers, and restoration projects.

Thiessen Saskatoon is a deciduous shrub that produces delicious edible fruit. It is one of the most productive saskatoon varieties. Its fruit is great in pies, preserves or eating fresh.

Thiessen Saskatoon is popular with U-Picks and home owners because of its taller tree-like shape and larger berries. But it is not the best choice for berry orchards as it is too tall for most mechanical harvesting equipment.

Bilberry Quick Facts

Thiessen Saskatoon (Serviceberry) Quick Facts

Zone: 3a
Zone: 1a
Height: 0.3 m (1.0 ft)
Height: 5 m (16 ft)
Spread: 0.5 m (1.5 ft)
Spread: 3 m (10 ft)
Light: partial shade, full sun
Light: partial shade, full sun
Moisture: normal
Moisture: normal
Growth rate: slow
Growth rate: fast
Life span: medium
Life span: medium
Growth form: low growing, clump-forming
Spreading: rhizomes - medium, seeds - medium
Suckering: low

Toxicity: leaves may be unsafe in high doses

Flowers: white or pink, bell-shaped
Bloom time: summer
Berries: round bluish-purple berries, edible
Berries: blue
Flavor: sweet
Harvest: late summer to early fall
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no


Native to: AB, BC
Native to: AB, BC, SK, MB, ON, YT, NT
Other Names: common bilberry, dwarf bilberry, low bilberry, myrtille, myrtle blueberry, myrtle whortleberry, whortleberry
Other Names: alder-leaf shadbush, dwarf shadbush, pacific serviceberry, pigeon berry, western juneberry, western serviceberry