Common Blueberry vs Western Snowberry - TreeTime.ca

Common Blueberry vs Western Snowberry

Vaccinium myrtilloides

Symphoricarpos occidentalis

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

Common Blueberry
Western Snowberry

Common Blueberry is an August maturing berry that is wonderfully flavorful and contain more antioxidants by volume than the highbush varieties.
They'll give your baked goods a wonderful pop of flavor.

It isn't as large, pretty, or high yielding as the other varieties we carry. But Common Blueberry is one of the only blueberries that will survive in plant hardiness zones 1A to 2B.

Note: Blueberries require very specific soil conditions. They need well-drained soil with a pH between 4.5 and 5.0.

Like the Common Snowberry, the Western Snowberry is a small shrub with pink flowers useful for feeding livestock and preventing erosion. Unlike the common species, however, the Western Snowberry is much more suited to wet conditions, capable of persevering through poor soil drainage and occasional flooding.

After the Snowberry's flowers have bloomed, it produces berries which often last on the plant through winter. These berries are toxic to humans, but livestock and local wildlife love them! Those hoping to attract wildlife to their property can plant Snowberry and expect to see animals foraging on it much later in the year than other plants.

Common Blueberry Quick Facts

Western Snowberry Quick Facts

Zone: 1a
Zone: 1a
Height: 0.5 m (1.5 ft)
Height: 0.9 m (3 ft)
Spread: 0.5 m (1.5 ft)
Spread: 0.9 m (3 ft)
Light: partial shade, full sun
Light: partial shade, full sun
Moisture: dry, normal
Moisture: any
Growth rate: medium
Growth rate: medium
Life span: short
Life span: short
Suckering: none
Suckering: high


Toxicity: berries are toxic to humans
Fall colour: yellow, orange, and red
Flowers: white
Flowers: pinkish white
Berries: blue
Berries: small, white, poisonous to humans
Firmness: medium
Flavor: tart
Harvest: late summer
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no


Native to: AB, BC, SK, MB, ON, QC, NS, NB, NL, NT, PE
Native to: AB, BC, SK, MB, NT
Other Names: canadian blueberry, sourtop blueberry, velvetleaf blueberry, velvetleaf huckleberry
Other Names: buckbrush, wolfberry