Bearberry vs Yellow Hedysarum - TreeTime.ca

Bearberry vs Yellow Hedysarum

Arctostaphylos uva-ursi

Hedysarum sulphurescens

COMING SOON

(new stock expected: fall of 2026)

CUSTOM GROW

Bearberry
Yellow Hedysarum

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.

Yellow Hedysarum is a native perennial wildflower recognized for its clusters of pale yellow to creamy-white, pea-like blooms. Flowering from late spring into summer, it adds subtle colour to grasslands, roadsides, and open woods while attracting a variety of pollinators, especially bumblebees.

As a nitrogen-fixing plant, Yellow Hedysarum enriches soils and supports the growth of surrounding vegetation. Its deep taproot and extensive root system make it drought-tolerant and effective at stabilizing soil. Grizzly bears are known to dig up and eat the nutritious taproot. Its resilience and ecological value make it well-suited for restoration, naturalization, pollinator gardens, and erosion control projects.

Bearberry Quick Facts

Yellow Hedysarum Quick Facts

Zone: 1b
Zone: 2b
Height: 0.1 m (0.3 ft)
Height: 0.5 m (1.5 ft)
Spread: 0.9 m (3 ft)
Spread: 0.2 m (0.8 ft)
Light: partial shade, full sun
Light: partial shade, full sun
Moisture: dry, normal
Moisture: dry, normal
Growth rate: slow
Growth rate: fast
Life span: medium
Life span: short
Growth form: ascending to upright
Spreading: seeds - low
Suckering: medium


Foliage: leathery, evergreen
Flowers: small, purple-white
Flowers: creamy yellow, in dense spikes
Bloom time: late spring to summer
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
Native to: AB, BC
Other Names: kinnikinnick, mealberry, sandberry
Other Names: sulphur hedysarum, sulphur sweet-vetch, yellow sweet-vetch