Thimbleberry vs Redwing Highbush Cranberry - TreeTime.ca

Thimbleberry vs Redwing Highbush Cranberry

Viburnum trilobum JN Select

Rubus parviflorus

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

Redwing Highbush Cranberry
Thimbleberry

The Redwing Highbush Cranberry is a dense multi-stemmed shrub that blooms with white pinwheel shaped flowers in spring. It produces small, red, and edible berries in late summer. Its leaves are green, but the tips become more saturated with red throughout the season, and then turn a stunning crimson colour in the fall.

The Redwing Highbush Cranberry makes a good addition to any urban garden or hedge, and its berries are commonly used to liven up preserves with their tart flavor.

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.

Redwing Highbush Cranberry Quick Facts

Thimbleberry Quick Facts

Zone: 2a
Zone: 4a
Height: 3 m (10 ft)
Height: 1.5 m (5 ft)
Spread: 2.1 m (7 ft)
Spread: 1.5 m (5 ft)
Light: partial shade, full sun
Light: partial shade, full sun
Moisture: normal, wet
Moisture: any
Growth rate: fast
Growth rate: fast
Life span: medium
Life span: medium
Suckering: low
Suckering: none


Foliage: red tips on leaves
Foliage: Soft leaves up to 8 inches across
Fall colour: red/orange
Fall colour: gold
Flowers: white, pinwheel shaped
Flowers: white, showy
Berries: small, red
Berries: edible, red, similar to raspberries
Flavor: sour
Harvest: late August-February
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no


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