Bunchberry vs Twinflower - TreeTime.ca

Bunchberry vs Twinflower

Cornus canadensis

Linnaea borealis

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

CUSTOM GROW

Bunchberry
Twinflower

The Bunchberry, or Quatre-Temps as it is commonly known in Quebec, is an excellent ornamental plant to have in your garden. With star-shaped white flowers in spring and clusters of bright red berries in the fall, this is one of the most refined and hardy groundcovers available. The foliage has ornamental value, with leaves going from a deep green in the spring and summer to a beautiful brick-red in the fall.

Bunchberry is a spreading evergreen perennial with a ground-hugging habit of growth. This plant is not well suited for urban areas close to streetsides, as it is quite intolerant to pollution. It is Canada’s national flower.

According to a poll done by the Master Gardeners of Ontario, it is one of the most recognizable Canadian flowers.

Its flowers grow with elastic petals and "fire" its pollen with the force of 2000-3000 times the force of gravity.

Twinflower is a native, trailing evergreen ground cover known for its delicate flowers that grow in nodding pairs. These pale pink blooms are described as being sweetly fragrant, attracting native bees and other pollinators.
Growing in cool, moist, acidic soils, the trailing stems form roots as they spread and start to form mats across the forest floor. Due to its woody stem, it is technically classified as a shrub and often referred to as a subshrub or dwarf shrub. This species is well-suited for naturalization, restoration, and conservation projects.
Twinflower (Linneae borealis) was named in honour of Carl Linnaeus, who adopted it as his personal emblem.

Bunchberry Quick Facts

Twinflower Quick Facts

Zone: 1b
Zone: 2a
Height: 0.2 m (0.6 ft)
Height: 0.1 m (0.4 ft)
Spread: 0.6 m (2.0 ft)
Spread: 0.9 m (3 ft)
Light: any
Light: any
Moisture: normal, wet
Moisture: normal, wet
Growth rate: fast
Growth rate: slow
Life span: short
Life span: short
Growth form: creeping or trailing, ground cover
Spreading: stolons - medium, seeds - low
Suckering: medium


Fall colour: brick red
Fall colour: reddish tinge
Flowers: white
Flowers: Pink, bell-shaped, fragrant pairs
Bloom time: summer
Berries: small, red
Flavor: sweet
Harvest: August/September
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no


Native to: AB, BC, SK, MB, ON, QC, NS, NB, NL, YT, NT, NU, PE
Native to: AB, BC, SK, MB, ON, QC, NS, NB, NL, YT, NT, NU, PE
Other Names: northern twinflower, pink bells