Creeping Juniper vs Small Cranberry - TreeTime.ca

Creeping Juniper vs Small Cranberry

Juniperus horizontalis

Vaccinium oxycoccos

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

CUSTOM GROW

Creeping Juniper
Small Cranberry

Creeping Juniper is a low maintenance, spreading, ground cover shrub capable of growing in some of the worst soil and rocky conditions.

You will love this shrubs' pleasant fragrance and year-round color. A beautiful accent or foundation plant, Creeping Juniper has scaly foliage and is commonly used by landscapers to add texture under trees or flower beds. Consider planting Creeping Juniper in areas where grass is difficult to mow or maintain.

Small Cranberry is a native evergreen groundcover found in bogs, fens, and wet meadows. It produces delicate pink flowers that attract a variety of pollinators, including bees, and it serves as both a nectar source and host plant for the Bog Fritillary (Boloria eunomia) butterfly. By late summer, the plant bears deep red berries that are eaten by both wildlife and people. With their high pectin content, the berries are well-suited for making jams and jellies.

Often creeping among sphagnum moss, Small Cranberry thrives in cold, acidic, and nutrient-poor soils (pH 2.9–4.7), making it well adapted to northern wetland environments. With its woody stems, it is technically classified as a shrub and often described as a subshrub or dwarf shrub. It is also valuable for wetland restoration and naturalisation projects.

Note: We use Small Cranberry for Vaccinium oxycoccos. This species is also known by many other common names, including Bog Cranberry, Small Bog Cranberry, and others. Please confirm the scientific name to ensure you are ordering the correct plant.

Creeping Juniper Quick Facts

Small Cranberry Quick Facts

Zone: 2a
Zone: 1b
Height: 0.3 m (1.0 ft)
Height: 0.1 m (0.2 ft)
Spread: 2.1 m (7 ft)
Spread: 0.5 m (1.5 ft)
Light: partial shade, full sun
Light: any
Moisture: dry, normal
Moisture: wet
Growth rate: medium
Growth rate: fast
Life span: medium
Life span: medium
Growth form: creeping, ground cover
Spreading: rhizomes - medium, layering - medium
Suckering: none


Foliage: small, leathery, evergreen
Fall colour: green
Flowers: pink, nodding with reflexed petals
Bloom time: late spring to early summer
Berries: small red cranberries, edible
Flavor: tart
Harvest: late summer to fall
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, SK, MB, ON, QC, NS, NB, NL, YT, NT, NU, PE
Other Names: prostrate juniper
Other Names: marshberry, small bog cranberry, swamp cranberry