Witch Hazel vs Thimbleberry - TreeTime.ca

Witch Hazel vs Thimbleberry

Hamamelis virginiana

Rubus parviflorus

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

Witch Hazel
Thimbleberry

Witch Hazel is a deciduous shrub, or small tree, with a short trunk, bearing numerous spreading, crooked branches.

The seeds grow in a long, wooden pod with two to four seeds per pod. Upon ripening, the pods burst, firing the seeds up to 30km an hour.

The leaf and bark extract of Witch Hazel has been used as a remedy to common ailments such as inflammation, bruises and much more for many centuries.

Thimbleberry is an ornamental shrub with large, green maple-like-leaves. Flowers are attractive, fragrant, and turn into red-raspberry-like berries. The berries are good for jams, cakes, breads, muffins etc. If you remove the berry, the core resembles a thimble, giving this shrub its namesake.

Witch Hazel Quick Facts

Thimbleberry Quick Facts

Zone: 3a
Zone: 4a
Height: 6 m (20 ft)
Height: 1.5 m (5 ft)
Spread: 3 m (10 ft)
Spread: 1.5 m (5 ft)
Light: any
Light: partial shade, full sun
Moisture: wet
Moisture: any
Growth rate: slow
Growth rate: fast
Life span: long
Life span: medium
Suckering: medium
Suckering: none


Foliage: Soft leaves up to 8 inches across
Fall colour: gold
Flowers: white, showy
Berries: edible, red, similar to raspberries
Seeds: seeds ejected to a distance of up to 30 ft
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no


Native to: ON, QC, NS, NB, PE
Native to: AB, BC, ON
Other Names: thimbleberry, western thimbleberry