Russian White Mulberry vs Bilberry - TreeTime.ca

Russian White Mulberry vs Bilberry

Morus alba tatarica

Vaccinium myrtillus

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

CUSTOM GROW

Russian White Mulberry
Bilberry

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.

Bilberry is a native perennial shrub valued for its small, blue-black berries that ripen in mid to late summer. The berries resemble blueberries but have a richer, more tart, and intense flavor. They have long been used for fresh eating, baking, and preserves, while also providing food for birds and mammals. In spring, its delicate pinkish flowers attract bees and other pollinators.

Growing low to the ground, Bilberry forms spreading colonies that create dense understory cover. This growth habit provides food and shelter for wildlife, and its foliage adds seasonal interest by turning red to purple in autumn. With its adaptability and ecological benefits, Bilberry is well-suited for naturalization, ecological restoration, and pollinator gardens.

Russian White Mulberry Quick Facts

Bilberry Quick Facts

Zone: 4a
Zone: 3a
Height: 9 m (30 ft)
Height: 0.3 m (1.0 ft)
Spread: 9 m (30 ft)
Spread: 0.5 m (1.5 ft)
Light: partial shade, full sun
Light: partial shade, full sun
Moisture: any
Moisture: normal
Growth rate: fast
Growth rate: slow
Life span: long
Life span: medium
Growth form: low growing, clump-forming
Spreading: rhizomes - medium, seeds - medium
Suckering: none
Maintenance: medium


Toxicity: leaves may be unsafe in high doses
Flowers: white
Flowers: white or pink, bell-shaped
Bloom time: summer
Berries: white, tart, nutritious and sweet
Berries: round bluish-purple berries, edible
Flavor: light sweet taste
Flavor: sweet
Harvest: late summer to early fall
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no


Native to: AB, BC
Other Names: common bilberry, dwarf bilberry, low bilberry, myrtille, myrtle blueberry, myrtle whortleberry, whortleberry