Diablo Ninebark vs Grouseberry - TreeTime.ca

Diablo Ninebark vs Grouseberry

Physocarpus opulifolius Diablo

Vaccinium scoparium

COMING SOON

(new stock expected: fall of 2025)

CUSTOM GROW

Diablo Ninebark
Grouseberry

Diablo Ninebark is a small, low maintenance, multi-stemmed shrub, that is used to add texture or color to any yard. This plant grows dark purple leaves in the spring and grows slightly faster than Common Ninebark. It features flaky red to brown bark, clusters of white flowers, and long, maple-like leaves. Diablo Ninebark can make a dense and colorful hedge, or it can be an attractive ornamental by itself.

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.

Diablo Ninebark Quick Facts

Grouseberry Quick Facts

Zone: 3a
Zone: 2a
Height: 2.4 m (8 ft)
Height: 0.3 m (1.0 ft)
Spread: 1.8 m (6 ft)
Spread: 0.3 m (1.0 ft)
Light: partial shade, full sun
Light: shade, partial shade
Moisture: dry, normal
Moisture: normal
Growth rate: fast
Growth rate: slow
Life span: short
Life span: medium
Growth form: low growing, colony-forming
Spreading: rhizomes - medium
Suckering: low
Maintenance: medium
Maintenance: medium


Foliage: reddish-purple
Fall colour: yellow
Fall colour: reddish
Bark: brown to red, exfoliating
Flowers: white
Flowers: small pink, bell-shaped
Bloom time: spring
Berries: red
Berries: small, bright red, edible
Flavor: tart
Harvest: summer
Seeds: inflated seed capsules
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no


Native to: AB, BC
Other Names: eastern ninebark, purple ninebark
Other Names: dwarf red whortleberry, grouse whortleberry, little-leaved huckleberry, red alpine blueberry, small-leaved huckleberry