Russian White Mulberry vs Small Cranberry - TreeTime.ca

Russian White Mulberry vs Small Cranberry

Morus alba tatarica

Vaccinium oxycoccos

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

CUSTOM GROW

Russian White Mulberry
Small Cranberry

Russian White Mulberry is a cold hardy and adaptable tree. It is a great choice for the impatient gardener as it reaches its mature height in a short period of time and has an attractive, dense, and rounded form.

Odd looking berries are produced among a backdrop of glossy, deep green foliage. The blackberry-esque berries ripen slowly over the season, ranging in color from white, pink, and purple-violet. While the berries are not well regarded for fresh eating, they have made tasty jams and preserves.

Small Cranberry is a native evergreen groundcover found in bogs, fens, and wet meadows. It produces delicate pink flowers that attract a variety of pollinators, including bees, and it serves as both a nectar source and host plant for the Bog Fritillary (Boloria eunomia) butterfly. By late summer, the plant bears deep red berries that are eaten by both wildlife and people. With their high pectin content, the berries are well-suited for making jams and jellies.

Often creeping among sphagnum moss, Small Cranberry thrives in cold, acidic, and nutrient-poor soils (pH 2.9–4.7), making it well adapted to northern wetland environments. With its woody stems, it is technically classified as a shrub and often described as a subshrub or dwarf shrub. It is also valuable for wetland restoration and naturalisation projects.

Note: We use Small Cranberry for Vaccinium oxycoccos. This species is also known by many other common names, including Bog Cranberry, Small Bog Cranberry, and others. Please confirm the scientific name to ensure you are ordering the correct plant.

Russian White Mulberry Quick Facts

Small Cranberry Quick Facts

Zone: 4a
Zone: 1b
Height: 9 m (30 ft)
Height: 0.1 m (0.2 ft)
Spread: 9 m (30 ft)
Spread: 0.5 m (1.5 ft)
Light: partial shade, full sun
Light: any
Moisture: any
Moisture: wet
Growth rate: fast
Growth rate: fast
Life span: long
Life span: medium
Growth form: creeping, ground cover
Spreading: rhizomes - medium, layering - medium
Suckering: none
Maintenance: medium


Foliage: small, leathery, evergreen
Flowers: white
Flowers: pink, nodding with reflexed petals
Bloom time: late spring to early summer
Berries: white, tart, nutritious and sweet
Berries: small red cranberries, edible
Flavor: light sweet taste
Flavor: tart
Harvest: late summer to fall
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no


Native to: AB, BC, SK, MB, ON, QC, NS, NB, NL, YT, NT, NU, PE
Other Names: marshberry, small bog cranberry, swamp cranberry