Highbush Cranberry vs Black Raspberry - TreeTime.ca

Highbush Cranberry vs Black Raspberry

Rubus occidentalis

Viburnum opulus var. americanum (trilobum)

COMING SOON

(new stock expected: fall of 2026)

COMING SOON

(new stock expected: fall of 2026)

Black Raspberry
Highbush Cranberry

The Black Raspberry is a multi-stemmed shrub that produces edible red berries that deepen to black as they mature. The berries are flavorful and are great for fresh eating and preserves. Black Raspberry shrubs bloom in late spring with white, rose-like flowers and attract many pollinators such as bees and butterflies.

Black Raspberries are floricanes primarily fruiting on second year canes. Each spring cut back all two-year old canes, leaving only the last year’s growth.

Highbush Cranberry produces attractive white flowers in late June and bears edible fruit that matures to a bright red colour in the late summer.

This shrub, native to much of Canada, is fast growing, and its fruit can be eaten raw or cooked into a sauce.

Black Raspberry Quick Facts

Highbush Cranberry Quick Facts

Zone: 3a
Zone: 2a
Height: 1.8 m (6 ft)
Height: 4 m (13 ft)
Spread: 1.8 m (6 ft)
Spread: 2.7 m (9 ft)
Light: any
Light: partial shade, full sun
Moisture: normal
Moisture: normal
Growth rate: fast
Growth rate: medium
Life span: short
Life span: medium
Suckering: high
Suckering: none
Maintenance: medium


Flowers: white clusters
Berries: red to black
Berries: edible red berries
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no


In row spacing: 0.6 m (2.0 ft)
Between row spacing: 5 m (16 ft)
Native to: ON, QC, NB
Native to: AB, BC, SK, MB, ON, QC, NS, NB, NL, PE
Other Names: bears eye blackberry, black cap, scotch cap
Other Names: american cranberrybush, american cranberrybush viburnum, high bush cranberry, kalyna