Labrador Tea vs Illini Hardy Blackberry - TreeTime.ca

Labrador Tea vs Illini Hardy Blackberry

Rhododendron groenlandicum (Ledum groenlandicum)

Rubus fruticosus Illini Hardy

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

Labrador Tea
Illini Hardy Blackberry

Labrador Tea is slow-growing evergreen shrub native to the boreal forests of Canada.

It thrives in wet, swampy conditions.

Labrador Tea has narrow, leathery, dark green leaves, topped by a cluster of white flowers in the spring. It is a perfect ornamental shrub for boggy, wet areas of your property.

The Illini Hardy Blackberry was developed in Illinois for northern growers, and produces a large, juicy blackberry with medium-sweet flavor. The berries are ready for harvest in midsummer, and go great in preserves.

The Illini Hardy Blackberry, or the Illinois Blackberry, are floricanes, primarily fruiting on second year canes. Each spring cut back all two-year old canes, leaving only the last year’s growth. This is a self-pollinating variety, so it doesn’t require a second plant nearby to set fruit.

Labrador Tea Quick Facts

Illini Hardy Blackberry Quick Facts

Zone: 1a
Zone: 3a
Height: 0.5 m (1.5 ft)
Height: 1.2 m (4 ft)
Spread: 0.5 m (1.5 ft)
Spread: 1.2 m (4 ft)
Light: any
Light: partial shade, full sun
Moisture: any
Moisture: normal
Growth rate: slow
Growth rate: fast
Life span: short
Life span: short
Suckering: none
Suckering: high
Maintenance: medium

Toxicity: slightly toxic if ingested

Foliage: leathery, orange undersides, evergreen
Fall colour: rust orange
Flowers: white, fragrant
Berries: black
Flavor: medium
Harvest: July
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: illinois blackberry