Thunderchild Flowering Crab vs Bearberry - TreeTime.ca

Thunderchild Flowering Crab vs Bearberry

Malus x adstringens Thunderchild

Arctostaphylos uva-ursi

COMING SOON

(new stock expected: fall of 2026)

COMING SOON

(new stock expected: fall of 2026)

Thunderchild Flowering Crab
Bearberry

Thunderchild Flowering Crab is a hybrid crab apple known for its attractive and fragrant dark pink blossoms and deep purple mature leaves.

Tree farmers will find this hybrid appealing as a pollinator for other apples, while home growers will enjoy the red pome's ability to attract flocks of Cedar Waxwings in the early spring.

This species is reportedly resistant to fireblight.

Bearberry is a dwarf shrub known for its creamy pink flowers and red edible fruits.

It is great as a filler in gardens and flowerbeds in place of invasive ground cover plants, like English Ivy.

Bearberry will attract hummingbirds, butterflies and bees to your property. It is one of the top 12 plants recommended by the Alberta Native Bee Council to support pollinators.

Thunderchild Flowering Crab Quick Facts

Bearberry Quick Facts

Zone: 3a
Zone: 1b
Height: 5 m (15 ft)
Height: 0.1 m (0.3 ft)
Spread: 4 m (12 ft)
Spread: 0.9 m (3 ft)
Light: full sun
Light: partial shade, full sun
Moisture: normal
Moisture: dry, normal
Growth rate: medium
Growth rate: slow
Life span: medium
Life span: medium
Suckering: none
Suckering: medium


Foliage: dark purple leaves
Foliage: leathery, evergreen
Fall colour: dark red
Flowers: dark pink blossoms
Flowers: small, purple-white
Fruit: small red pomes that hang through the winter
Berries: small red pomes that hang through the winter
Berries: small red berries
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no


Native to: AB, BC, SK, MB, ON, QC, NS, NB, NL, YT, NT, NU, PE
Other Names: kinnikinnick, mealberry, sandberry