Highbush Cranberry vs Purple Prairie Clover - TreeTime.ca

Highbush Cranberry vs Purple Prairie Clover

Viburnum trilobum

Dalea purpurea

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON

(new stock expected: fall of 2026)

Highbush Cranberry
Purple Prairie Clover

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.

Purple Prairie Clover is a native perennial wildflower known for its striking purple blooms. The flower heads grow as dense spikes on tall stems, with each flower head containing many tiny blossoms. Blooming for 4–6 weeks in the summer, it attracts a variety of pollinators, including bees and butterflies.

The high protein content of the Purple Prairie Clover makes it excellent forage for wildlife and birds like to feed on its seeds. As a nitrogen-fixing plant, it enriches the soil, improving fertility and benefiting nearby vegetation. These ecological contributions make it a great choice for pollinator gardens, prairie & rangeland restoration, naturalization, and re-vegetation efforts.

This drought and heat-tolerant plant thrives in various soil conditions, including rocky soil, making it remarkably easy to grow in challenging environments. As a perennial, it dies back to the crown each winter, it will regrow from the base in the spring. Avoid disturbing the crown during late winter to ensure healthy growth the following season.

Highbush Cranberry Quick Facts

Purple Prairie Clover Quick Facts

Zone: 2a
Zone: 3a
Height: 4 m (13 ft)
Height: 0.6 m (2.0 ft)
Spread: 2.7 m (9 ft)
Spread: 0.3 m (1.0 ft)
Moisture: normal
Moisture: dry, normal
Light: partial shade, full sun
Light: full sun
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no
Berries: edible red berries
Flowers: white clusters
Flowers: purple flowers in dense cone-like heads
Growth rate: medium
Growth rate: very fast
Life span: medium
Life span: short
Suckering: none
Suckering: none

In row spacing: 0.6 m (2.0 ft)

Between row spacing: 5 m (16 ft)


Other Names: american cranberrybush, american cranberrybush viburnum, high bush cranberry, kalyna
Other Names: violet prairie-clover