Common Blueberry vs Black Crowberry - TreeTime.ca

Common Blueberry vs Black Crowberry

Empetrum nigrum

Vaccinium myrtilloides

CUSTOM GROW

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

Black Crowberry
Common Blueberry

Black Crowberry is a native evergreen shrub that forms low, spreading mats. It has unique foliage that spirals around the stem, and small dark berries, giving it visual appeal. The berries are edible, but can be acidic, so they are not generally eaten fresh. In colder climates, the berries develop a sweet-tart flavor and are often dried or used in desserts, jams, and jellies.

This hardy shrub provides food for birds and mammals, while its flowers attract pollinators such as bees. It also serves as a host plant for certain butterflies and moths. Together, these roles make it a key contributor to the health of tundra and boreal ecosystems.

In Newfoundland and Labrador, the berries are known locally as ‘blackberries’ and are enjoyed in jams, jellies, and traditional baked goods such as buns and puddings. In Scandinavia, they continue to be used in liqueurs, wines, and juices.

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.

Black Crowberry Quick Facts

Common Blueberry Quick Facts

Zone: 3a
Zone: 1a
Height: 0.2 m (0.5 ft)
Height: 0.5 m (1.5 ft)
Spread: 0.4 m (1.3 ft)
Spread: 0.5 m (1.5 ft)
Light: partial shade, full sun
Light: partial shade, full sun
Moisture: any
Moisture: dry, normal
Growth rate: slow
Growth rate: medium
Life span: medium
Life span: short
Growth form: low growing, matt-forming
Spreading: rhizomes - medium, seeds - low
Suckering: none


Foliage: evergreen needle-like leaves
Fall colour: yellow, orange, and red
Flowers: pink-red, very small
Flowers: white
Bloom time: late spring to early summer
Berries: purplish-black, edible
Berries: blue
Firmness: medium
Flavor: bland, slightly bitter
Flavor: tart
Harvest: late summer to fall
Harvest: late summer
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no


Native to: AB, BC, SK, MB, ON, QC, NS, NB, NL, YT, NT, NU
Native to: AB, BC, SK, MB, ON, QC, NS, NB, NL, NT, PE
Other Names: crakeberry, curlewberry, heathberry, northern crowberry
Other Names: canadian blueberry, sourtop blueberry, velvetleaf blueberry, velvetleaf huckleberry