Common Blueberry vs Northern Bayberry - TreeTime.ca

Common Blueberry vs Northern Bayberry

Vaccinium myrtilloides

Myrica pensylvanica

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

Common Blueberry
Northern Bayberry

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.

Northern Bayberry makes an excellent hedge or feature shrub. It will retain its leaves in warmer climates but drops them in colder areas. They produce blue-grey berries that have a wax coating on them that can be used to make candles or soaps.

In colder hardiness zones the leaves turn an attractive orange to red colour in the fall, making it a striking addition to your landscape.

Northern Bayberry is native to Nova Scotia and tolerates both drought and wet conditions. It is also a nitrogen fixer that tolerates poor soil conditions.

Common Blueberry Quick Facts

Northern Bayberry Quick Facts

Zone: 1a
Zone: 3a
Height: 0.5 m (1.5 ft)
Height: 2.4 m (8 ft)
Spread: 0.5 m (1.5 ft)
Spread: 2.4 m (8 ft)
Light: partial shade, full sun
Light: partial shade, full sun
Moisture: dry, normal
Moisture: normal
Growth rate: medium
Growth rate: slow
Life span: short
Life span: long
Suckering: none
Suckering: medium


Toxicity: Warning: The wax from bayberry fruit is considered toxic and may be carcinogenic.
Fall colour: yellow, orange, and red
Flowers: white
Berries: blue
Berries: blue-gray
Firmness: medium
Flavor: tart
Harvest: late summer
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: yes


Native to: AB, BC, SK, MB, ON, QC, NS, NB, NL, NT, PE
Native to: ON, QC, NS, NB, NL, PE
Other Names: canadian blueberry, sourtop blueberry, velvetleaf blueberry, velvetleaf huckleberry
Other Names: candlewood, myrique de pennsylvanie, small waxberry, swamp candleberry, tallow bayberry, tallow shrub, tallow tree, tallowshrub