Bearberry vs Dewberry (Dwarf Raspberry) - TreeTime.ca

Bearberry vs Dewberry (Dwarf Raspberry)

Arctostaphylos uva-ursi

Rubus pubescens

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

COMING SOON

(new stock expected: fall of 2025)

Bearberry
Dewberry (Dwarf Raspberry)

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.

Dewberry (Rubus pubescens) is a native, low-growing perennial that spreads by creeping stems to form a natural groundcover. In spring, it bears small white flowers that attract pollinators, followed by bright red edible berries resembling tiny raspberries. They are an important food source for birds and mammals.

Widespread across Canada, Dewberry serves as a larval host plant for butterflies such as the Spring Azure (Celastrina ladon), adding to its ecological value. It is a suitable choice for naturalization, pollinator gardens, habitat plantings, and ecological restoration projects.

Bearberry Quick Facts

Dewberry (Dwarf Raspberry) Quick Facts

Zone: 1b
Zone: 1b
Height: 0.1 m (0.3 ft)
Height: 0.2 m (0.5 ft)
Spread: 0.9 m (3 ft)
Spread: 0.2 m (0.5 ft)
Light: partial shade, full sun
Light: any
Moisture: dry, normal
Moisture: normal, wet
Growth rate: slow
Growth rate: medium
Life span: medium
Life span: short
Growth form: upright, trailing
Spreading: stolons - medium
Suckering: medium


Foliage: leathery, evergreen
Fall colour: reddish or purplish
Flowers: small, purple-white
Flowers: small, white
Bloom time: late spring to early summer
Berries: small red berries
Berries: red, edible
Harvest: mid-summer
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no


Native to: AB, BC, SK, MB, ON, QC, NS, NB, NL, YT, NT, NU, PE
Native to: AB, BC, SK, MB, ON, QC, NS, NB, NL, YT, NT, NU, PE
Other Names: kinnikinnick, mealberry, sandberry
Other Names: creeping red raspberry, dwarf raspberry, dwarf red blackberry, dwarf red raspberry, trailing raspberry