Bearberry vs Thimbleberry - TreeTime.ca

Bearberry vs Thimbleberry

Arctostaphylos uva-ursi

Rubus parviflorus

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

Bearberry
Thimbleberry

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.

Thimbleberry is an ornamental shrub with large, green maple-like-leaves. Flowers are attractive, fragrant, and turn into red-raspberry-like berries. The berries are good for jams, cakes, breads, muffins etc. If you remove the berry, the core resembles a thimble, giving this shrub its namesake.

Bearberry Quick Facts

Thimbleberry Quick Facts

Zone: 1b
Zone: 4a
Height: 0.1 m (0.3 ft)
Height: 1.5 m (5 ft)
Spread: 0.9 m (3 ft)
Spread: 1.5 m (5 ft)
Light: partial shade, full sun
Light: partial shade, full sun
Moisture: dry, normal
Moisture: any
Growth rate: slow
Growth rate: fast
Life span: medium
Life span: medium
Suckering: medium
Suckering: none


Foliage: leathery, evergreen
Foliage: Soft leaves up to 8 inches across
Fall colour: gold
Flowers: small, purple-white
Flowers: white, showy
Berries: small red berries
Berries: edible, red, similar to raspberries
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no


Other Names: kinnikinnick, mealberry, sandberry
Other Names: thimbleberry, western thimbleberry