Bog Cranberry (Lingonberry) vs White Fringe Tree - TreeTime.ca

Bog Cranberry (Lingonberry) vs White Fringe Tree

Vaccinium vitis-idaea

Chionanthus virginicus

COMING SOON

(new stock expected: fall of 2026)

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

Bog Cranberry (Lingonberry)
White Fringe Tree

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.

Note: We use Bog Cranberry for Vaccinium vitis-idaea. This species is also known by many other common names. Please confirm the scientific name to ensure you are ordering the correct plant.

White Fringe Tree is known for its fringe-like white flowers. It can either grow as a small tree or a large multistemmed shrub. The White Fringe Tree has separate male and female plants. Both male and female flowers have white fringe-like petals, but the male flowers are longer and showier. The female flowers give way to clusters of dark blue to black berries. These berries are not edible for humans but attract birds and other wildlife.

The White Fringe Tree is tolerant of clay soils, saline soils, and air pollution but does not do well in prolonged dry conditions.

Bog Cranberry (Lingonberry) Quick Facts

White Fringe Tree Quick Facts

Zone: 2a
Zone: 3a
Height: 0.2 m (0.7 ft)
Height: 5 m (15 ft)
Spread: 0.9 m (3 ft)
Spread: 5 m (15 ft)
Light: partial shade, full sun
Light: partial shade, full sun
Moisture: normal, wet
Moisture: normal, wet
Growth rate: slow
Growth rate: slow
Life span: medium
Life span: medium
Suckering: low
Suckering: medium


Flowers: white or pink
Flowers: fragrant, white clusters
Berries: tart, cranberry-like
Berries: blue to black
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no


Native to: AB, BC, SK, MB, ON, QC, NS, NB, NL, YT, NT, NU, PE
Other Names: cowberry, dry ground cranberry, fox berry, foxberry, lingonberry, northern mountain cranberry, partridgeberry, rock cranberry, wolf berry, wolf-berry
Other Names: american fringe tree, american fringetree, fringe tree, fringetree, north american fringe tree, white fringetree