Bearberry vs White Fringe Tree - TreeTime.ca

Bearberry vs White Fringe Tree

Arctostaphylos uva-ursi

Chionanthus virginicus

COMING SOON

(new stock expected: fall of 2026)

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

Bearberry
White Fringe Tree

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.

White Fringe Tree is known for its fringe-like white flowers. It can either grow as a small tree or a large multistemmed shrub. The White Fringe Tree has separate male and female plants. Both male and female flowers have white fringe-like petals, but the male flowers are longer and showier. The female flowers give way to clusters of dark blue to black berries. These berries are not edible for humans but attract birds and other wildlife.

The White Fringe Tree is tolerant of clay soils, saline soils, and air pollution but does not do well in prolonged dry conditions.

Bearberry Quick Facts

White Fringe Tree Quick Facts

Zone: 1b
Zone: 3a
Height: 0.1 m (0.3 ft)
Height: 5 m (15 ft)
Spread: 0.9 m (3 ft)
Spread: 5 m (15 ft)
Light: partial shade, full sun
Light: partial shade, full sun
Moisture: dry, normal
Moisture: normal, wet
Growth rate: slow
Growth rate: slow
Life span: medium
Life span: medium
Suckering: medium
Suckering: medium


Foliage: leathery, evergreen
Flowers: small, purple-white
Flowers: fragrant, white clusters
Berries: small red berries
Berries: blue to black
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
Other Names: american fringe tree, american fringetree, fringe tree, fringetree, north american fringe tree, white fringetree