Thimbleberry vs Northblue Blueberry - TreeTime.ca

Thimbleberry vs Northblue Blueberry

Vaccinium corymbosum Northblue

Rubus parviflorus

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

Northblue Blueberry
Thimbleberry

Northblue Blueberry produces the best tasting of the half-high blueberries we carry. It's a cross between a highbush and a lowbush variety, which makes it suitable for smaller yards. For its size, Northblue Blueberry produces abundant quantities of large, firm berries. They are sweet and juicy.

While this variety is self-pollinating, we recommend pairing it with another suitable blueberry to increase the berry production of both varieties.

Note: Blueberries require very specific soil conditions. They need well-drained soil with a pH between 4.5 and 5.0. If the starting pH of your soil is between 5.1 and 6.2 you can lower it by adding sulfur. We recommend against planting blueberries in soil with a starting pH greater than 6.2. Please do your own research before buying any blueberry plants.

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.

Northblue Blueberry Quick Facts

Thimbleberry Quick Facts

Zone: 3a
Zone: 4a
Height: 0.6 m (2.0 ft)
Height: 1.5 m (5 ft)
Spread: 0.9 m (3 ft)
Spread: 1.5 m (5 ft)
Light: partial shade, full sun
Light: partial shade, full sun
Moisture: normal
Moisture: any
Growth rate: medium
Growth rate: fast
Life span: short
Life span: medium
Suckering: none
Suckering: none


Foliage: Soft leaves up to 8 inches across
Fall colour: dark red
Fall colour: gold
Flowers: white, showy
Berries: large clusters of blue berries
Berries: edible, red, similar to raspberries
Fruit size: large
Firmness: firmer
Flavor: sweet/juicy
Harvest: mid summer
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no


Native to: AB, BC, ON
Other Names: thimbleberry, western thimbleberry