Ninebark vs Bilberry - TreeTime.ca

Ninebark vs Bilberry

Physocarpus opulifolius

Vaccinium myrtillus

CUSTOM GROW

CUSTOM GROW

Ninebark
Bilberry

Ninebark is a small, multi-stemmed shrub, that is used to add texture or colour to any yard.

It features flaky, cinnamon-brown bark, attractive white flowers, and long, maple-like leaves.

Bilberry is a native perennial shrub valued for its small, blue-black berries that ripen in mid to late summer. The berries resemble blueberries but have a richer, more tart, and intense flavor. They have long been used for fresh eating, baking, and preserves, while also providing food for birds and mammals. In spring, its delicate pinkish flowers attract bees and other pollinators.

Growing low to the ground, Bilberry forms spreading colonies that create dense understory cover. This growth habit provides food and shelter for wildlife, and its foliage adds seasonal interest by turning red to purple in autumn. With its adaptability and ecological benefits, Bilberry is well-suited for naturalization, ecological restoration, and pollinator gardens.

Ninebark Quick Facts

Bilberry Quick Facts

Zone: 2a
Zone: 3a
Height: 2.1 m (7 ft)
Height: 0.3 m (1.0 ft)
Spread: 2.1 m (7 ft)
Spread: 0.5 m (1.5 ft)
Light: full sun
Light: partial shade, full sun
Moisture: dry, normal
Moisture: normal
Growth rate: slow
Growth rate: slow
Life span: long
Life span: medium
Growth form: low growing, clump-forming
Spreading: rhizomes - medium, seeds - medium
Suckering: none


Toxicity: leaves may be unsafe in high doses
Flowers: small white clusters
Flowers: white or pink, bell-shaped
Bloom time: summer
Berries: small pink to purple berry like follicles
Berries: round bluish-purple berries, edible
Flavor: sweet
Harvest: late summer to early fall
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no


Native to: ON, QC, NS, NB
Native to: AB, BC
Other Names: common bilberry, dwarf bilberry, low bilberry, myrtille, myrtle blueberry, myrtle whortleberry, whortleberry