Birch Leaf Spirea vs Mountain Huckleberry - TreeTime.ca

Birch Leaf Spirea vs Mountain Huckleberry

Spiraea betulifolia

Vaccinium membranaceum

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON

(new stock expected: fall of 2026)

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Mountain Huckleberry

Birch Leaf Meadowsweet is a small, rounded shrub, reaching 3 to 4 feet high.

In the early summer, white flowers emerge with dark green foliage. Come fall, birch-like leaves turn a kaleidoscope of red, orange, and purple adding seasonal interest.

Native to Japan and Eastern Asia, this dwarf shrub attracts butterflies and is an excellent option for the front row of a shrub border.

Mountain Huckleberry is a small shrub known for its tart to sweet berries. The berries range from purple-black to red-black, and can be eaten fresh or used in jams and syrups. It is a plant native to Alberta and the berries are frequently enjoyed by both people and wildlife.

In traditional Indigenous fire management practices, berry patches were burned after harvest. This would reduce the invasion of other plants allowing the Mountain Huckleberry to thrive. Its foliage has low flammability and can survive low severity fires, and even if destroyed they regrow from the roots.

Note: Mountain Huckleberry requires specific soil conditions. They need moist, well-drained, acidic soil with a pH around 5.5.

Birch Leaf Spirea Quick Facts

Mountain Huckleberry Quick Facts

Zone: 4a
Zone: 5a
Height: 0.9 m (3 ft)
Height: 0.6 m (2.0 ft)
Spread: 0.9 m (3 ft)
Spread: 0.6 m (2.0 ft)
Moisture: normal, wet
Moisture: any
Light: full sun
Light: full sun
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no
Berries: dark purple
Flavor: sweet, acidic
Harvest: mid to late summer
Growth rate: medium
Growth rate: medium
Life span: short
Life span: short
Suckering: none
Suckering: high




Other Names: birch leaf meadowsweet, shiny leaf spirea, white spirea
Other Names: big huckleberry, black huckleberry, tall bilberry, thinleaf huckleberry