Highbush Cranberry vs Red Alder - TreeTime.ca

Highbush Cranberry vs Red Alder

Viburnum trilobum

Alnus rubra

COMING SOON

(new stock expected: fall of 2025)

CUSTOM GROW

Highbush Cranberry
Red Alder

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.

Red Alder is a fast-growing deciduous tree native to western North America. Its fixes nitrogen, which enriches soils and supports the growth of surrounding plants. Ideal for sites with poor soil conditions, or areas disturbed by logging, construction or fire.
It provides shade in riparian areas, creating cover for fish. Its seeds and buds are eaten by birds and small mammals, while the foliage provides browse for wildlife. The catkins release clouds of pollen attracting bees and other insects.
The Red Alder gets its namesake from the rusty-red color the bark turns when bruised.

Highbush Cranberry Quick Facts

Red Alder Quick Facts

Zone: 2a
Zone: 5b
Height: 4 m (13 ft)
Height: 15 m (50 ft)
Spread: 2.7 m (9 ft)
Spread: 9 m (30 ft)
Light: partial shade, full sun
Light: partial shade, full sun
Moisture: normal
Moisture: normal, wet
Growth rate: medium
Growth rate: fast
Life span: medium
Life span: medium
Growth form: upright, rounded to conical
Spreading: seeds - medium, stump sprouting - medium
Suckering: none


Bark: smooth, grey
Flowers: white clusters
Berries: edible red berries
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: yes

In row spacing: 0.6 m (2.0 ft)

Between row spacing: 5 m (16 ft)
Native to: AB, BC, SK, MB, ON, QC, NS, NB, NL, PE
Native to: BC
Other Names: american cranberrybush, american cranberrybush viburnum, high bush cranberry, kalyna
Other Names: oregon alder, pacific coast alder, western alder