Canada Plum vs Winterberry - TreeTime.ca

Canada Plum vs Winterberry

Prunus nigra

Ilex verticillata

COMING SOON

(new stock expected: fall of 2026)

CUSTOM GROW

Canada Plum
Winterberry

Canada Plum is a cold-hardy wild plum native to North America with small red fruit. They ripen in mid to late summer, with bitter, astringent skin surrounding sweet, slightly acidic flesh that clings to the stone. While some enjoy eating the plums fresh, they are more commonly used for baking and preserves. It is considered a universal pollinizer for other plum varieties and is often used for grafting or as a rootstock.

White to pink flowers appear in spring, often before the leaves, providing an early source of nectar and pollen for native bees and other pollinators. Birds and other wildlife also feed on the fruit, adding to its ecological value. Canada Plum can grow as a small tree or large, multi-stemmed shrub. It is well suited to a variety of projects, including fruit orchards for cross-pollination, as well as pollinator plantings, naturalization, and restoration projects.

Winterberry is a small shrub that produces large quantities of bright red berries that remain on the plant through the fall and into the winter. Adding this shrub to your yard will give it a unique splash of color and attract birds, especially after the leaves drop.

Note: although the foliage is attractive on its own, you need at least one male plant near your female plants or they won't produce berries.

Canada Plum Quick Facts

Winterberry Quick Facts

Zone: 2b
Zone: 3a
Height: 5 m (15 ft)
Height: 3 m (10 ft)
Spread: 4 m (12 ft)
Spread: 1.8 m (6 ft)
Light: partial shade, full sun
Light: partial shade, full sun
Moisture: normal, wet
Moisture: normal, wet
Growth rate: fast
Growth rate: slow
Life span: medium
Life span: medium
Suckering: high
Suckering: medium


Foliage: yellow-green
Fall colour: attractive yellow, gold
Fall colour: bright orange to red
Bark: grey and scaly with age
Flowers: white
Fruit: under 1 inch round yellow fruits with red blush to completely red, tart skin with sweet flesh
Berries: bright red, stays through winter
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no


Native to: MB, ON, QC, NB
Native to: ON, QC, NS, NB, NL, PE
Other Names: american plum, black plum, canada plum, horse plum, wild plum
Other Names: black alder, canada holly, coralberry, fever bush, michigan holly, winterberry holly