Korean Boxwood vs Bilberry - TreeTime.ca

Korean Boxwood vs Bilberry

Buxus microphylla Koreana

Vaccinium myrtillus

CUSTOM GROW

CUSTOM GROW

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Bilberry

Korean Boxwood is a vibrant evergreen shrub. A top choice for colder climates, this shrub will look stunning lining a driveway or as a foundation plant.

Easy to root in and maintain, Korean Boxwood's thick foliage is deer resistant and turns an attractive yellow-brown to purplish in winter. Consider applying mulch around the base to keep the roots moist and cool.

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.

Korean Boxwood Quick Facts

Bilberry Quick Facts

Zone: 4a
Zone: 3a
Height: 0.6 m (2.0 ft)
Height: 0.3 m (1.0 ft)
Spread: 1.2 m (4 ft)
Spread: 0.5 m (1.5 ft)
Light: partial shade, full sun
Light: partial shade, full sun
Moisture: normal
Moisture: normal
Growth rate: slow
Growth rate: slow
Life span: medium
Life span: medium
Growth form: low growing, clump-forming
Spreading: rhizomes - medium, seeds - medium
Suckering: none


Toxicity: leaves may be unsafe in high doses
Foliage: evergreen
Fall colour: yellow-brown to purple
Flowers: white or pink, bell-shaped
Bloom time: summer
Berries: round bluish-purple berries, edible
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