Wild Snowberry vs Grouseberry - TreeTime.ca

Wild Snowberry vs Grouseberry

Symphoricarpos spp.

Vaccinium scoparium

CUSTOM GROW

CUSTOM GROW

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Grouseberry

Wild Snowberry is a mix of Common Snowberry and Western Snowberry. Each shrub's size, flower, and berry colour may vary.

This plant is abundant across the prairies. It can be planted alone or as a hedge in small yards. This shrub's ornamental berries persist into winter. Wild Snowberry can be a natural habitat and food source for various animals.

Grouseberry is a native, low-growing deciduous shrub known for its edible red berries. In early summer, it produces small, urn-shaped flowers ranging from white to pink that attract bees and other pollinators. The berries provide an important food source for many types of wildlife, including game birds such as grouse, which gives the plant its common name. People can also enjoy the berries fresh or in baked goods, though they can be difficult to harvest in large quantities.

Spreading by rhizomes, Grouseberry forms dense, broom-like mats that help stabilize soil and prevent erosion, while also providing cover for ground-nesting wildlife. It is commonly found beneath conifers in open forests, subalpine meadows, and occasionally on rocky slopes in mountainous regions. It is well-suited for naturalization, ecological restoration, and soil stabilization projects.

Wild Snowberry Quick Facts

Grouseberry Quick Facts

Zone: 3a
Zone: 2a
Height: 0.9 m (3 ft)
Height: 0.3 m (1.0 ft)
Spread: 0.9 m (3 ft)
Spread: 0.3 m (1.0 ft)
Light: partial shade, full sun
Light: shade, partial shade
Moisture: normal, wet
Moisture: normal
Growth rate: medium
Growth rate: slow
Life span: medium
Life span: medium
Growth form: low growing, colony-forming
Spreading: rhizomes - medium
Suckering: medium
Maintenance: medium


Fall colour: reddish
Flowers: white and occasionally pinkish
Flowers: small pink, bell-shaped
Bloom time: spring
Berries: showy white berries persist into winter
Berries: small, bright red, edible
Flavor: tart
Harvest: summer
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no


Native to: AB, BC, SK, MB
Native to: AB, BC
Other Names: coralberry, ghostberry, waxberry, wolfberry
Other Names: dwarf red whortleberry, grouse whortleberry, little-leaved huckleberry, red alpine blueberry, small-leaved huckleberry