Bog Cranberry (Lingonberry) vs Thimbleberry - TreeTime.ca

Bog Cranberry (Lingonberry) vs Thimbleberry

Vaccinium vitis-idaea

Rubus parviflorus

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON

Bog Cranberry (Lingonberry)
Thimbleberry

Bog Cranberry is a native, ground cover species. These plants generally produce one crop per year in summer. Plants may spread 3 feet in width forming a dense mat which makes it attractive as an ornamental ground cover.

Wild crops of Bog Cranberry are harvested each year in Newfoundland (more than 200,000 lbs/yr). Harvest of wild fruit can no longer keep up with demand. In Europe, 80 million pounds per year of this crop is grown or harvested from the wild.

Bog Cranberry flowers are similar in shape to those of blueberry and may be white or pink in color. These berries are considered to be highly flavored but not as tart as cranberries.

Check out our YouTube video of this plant in the fall: Fall Bog Cranberry.

Thimbleberry is an ornamental shrub with large, green maple-like-leaves. Flowers are attractive, fragrant, and turn into red-raspberry-like berries. The berries are good for jams, cakes, breads, muffins etc. If you remove the berry, the core resembles a thimble, giving this shrub its namesake.

Bog Cranberry (Lingonberry) Quick Facts

Thimbleberry Quick Facts

Zone: 2a
Zone: 4a
Height: 0.2 m (0.7 ft)
Height: 1.5 m (5 ft)
Spread: 0.9 m (3 ft)
Spread: 1.5 m (5 ft)
Moisture: normal, wet
Moisture: any
Light: partial shade, full sun
Light: partial shade, full sun
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no
Fall colour: gold
Berries: tart, cranberry-like
Berries: edible, red, similar to raspberries
Flowers: white or pink
Flowers: white, showy
Growth rate: slow
Growth rate: fast
Life span: medium
Life span: medium
Suckering: low
Suckering: none




Other Names: cowberry, dry ground cranberry, fox berry, foxberry, lingonberry, northern mountain cranberry, partridgeberry, rock cranberry, wolf berry, wolf-berry
Other Names: thimbleberry, western thimbleberry