Nannyberry vs Black Crowberry - TreeTime.ca

Nannyberry vs Black Crowberry

Viburnum lentago

Empetrum nigrum

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

CUSTOM GROW

Nannyberry
Black Crowberry

Nannyberry is a hardy shrub known for attracting wildlife. Its clusters of white flowers and tasty berries are suitable for bees, birds, and other animals.

Nannyberry is also used in urban yards and landscaping. This shrub makes a beautiful ornamental and is small enough to grow underneath power lines. Its berries can be eaten fresh or used in baking and preserves.

Makes a great hedge or privacy screen in an urban yard. Often has great red fall color to complement its spring flowers.

Black Crowberry is a native evergreen shrub that forms low, spreading mats. It has unique foliage that spiral around the stem, and small dark berries, giving it visual appeal. The berries are edible, but can be acidic, so are not generally eaten fresh. In colder climates they have a sweet, tart taste, and are dried, used in deserts, or for making jams or jellies.
It provides food for birds and mammals, while its flowers attract pollinators such as bees. Its ability to grow in harsh climates makes it an important species for ecological balance.
Black Crowberry has historical significance as it provided a vital food source for the indigenous cultures of the arctic regions. It is abundant in Scandinavia and is used to make liqueurs, wines, and juices. In Newfoundland and Labrador the berries are known locally as ‘blackberries’ and are used in jams, jellies and baked goods like buns and puddings.

Nannyberry Quick Facts

Black Crowberry Quick Facts

Zone: 2b
Zone: 3a
Height: 5 m (15 ft)
Height: 0.2 m (0.5 ft)
Spread: 3 m (10 ft)
Spread: 0.4 m (1.3 ft)
Light: partial shade, full sun
Light: partial shade, full sun
Moisture: any
Moisture: any
Growth rate: medium
Growth rate: slow
Life span: short
Life span: medium
Growth form: low growing, matt-forming
Spreading: rhizomes - medium, seeds - low
Suckering: medium


Foliage: evergreen needle-like leaves
Bark: gray and scaly
Flowers: white
Flowers: pink-red, very small
Bloom time: late spring to early summer
Berries: red to purple
Berries: purplish-black, edible
Flavor: bland, slightly bitter
Harvest: late summer to fall
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no


Native to: SK, MB, ON, QC, NB
Native to: AB, BC, SK, MB, ON, QC, NS, NB, NL, YT, NT, NU
Other Names: sheepberry, sweet viburnum
Other Names: crakeberry, curlewberry, heathberry, northern crowberry