Creeping Oregon Grape vs Cloudberry - TreeTime.ca

Creeping Oregon Grape vs Cloudberry

Mahonia repens

Rubus chamaemorus

ONLY AVAILABLE BY CONTRACT GROW

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON

(new stock expected: fall of 2026)

Creeping Oregon Grape
Cloudberry

Creeping Oregon Grape is an excellent ground cover plant with attractive, dark green, holly-like leaves. It maintains its leaves throughout winter, which turn mauve, rose, and rust-colored. Clusters of bright, yellow flowers develop into dark, blue-purple edible berries ideal for juice or wine.

Note: This species is currently unavailable. Grow your own using Creeping Oregon Grape seeds at SeedTime.ca.

Cloudberry produces berries which taste tart and tangy with a sweet, floral hint. The berries have a creamy texture when overripe. They are often used to make jams, juices, and liquors. The berries are a pale red colour and when ripe turn more orange/amber. They do not grow very tall, generally reaching only 10-25 cm.

Cloudberry has distinct male and female plants. In order to produce berries, both must be present and pollinate with each other. Berries are produced at maturity, typically 5-7 years, and produce 1 berry per stem. The plant spreads naturally as they grow using modified underground stems (rhizomes), forming more plants over time in the same area.

This plant can be found wild in Canada’s boreal forest. In Newfoundland and Labrador, this plant is known as the Bakeapple and is a significant regional food. Similarly the Côte-Nord region of Quebec also has a long history of using this berry.

Note: Cloudberries require very specific soil conditions. They need well-drained soil with a pH between 3.5 and 5.0. Also sensitive to salt and dry conditions.

Note: Our seedlings are grown from seed and are too young to identify their sex.

Creeping Oregon Grape Quick Facts

Cloudberry Quick Facts

Zone: 5a
Zone: 2a
Height: 0.3 m (1.0 ft)
Height: 0.3 m (1.0 ft)
Spread: 0.5 m (1.5 ft)
Spread: 0.9 m (3 ft)
Moisture: dry, normal
Moisture: normal, wet
Light: partial shade, full sun
Light: full sun
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no
Fall colour: purple and bronze
Fall colour: orange, yellow
Berries: irregular, yellow to orange
Harvest: September to October.
Flowers: yellow
Flowers: white
Growth rate: slow
Growth rate: fast
Life span: long
Life span: short
Maintenance: medium
Suckering: medium
Suckering: none




Other Names: ash barberry, creeping barberry, creeping holly grape, creeping mahonia, creeping oregon-grape, creeping western barberry, holly grape, mountain holly, oregon barberry
Other Names: baked apple berry, cloud berry