Thimbleberry vs Northern Bayberry - TreeTime.ca

Thimbleberry vs Northern Bayberry

Rubus parviflorus

Myrica pensylvanica

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON

Thimbleberry
Northern Bayberry

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.

Northern Bayberry makes an excellent hedge or feature shrub. It will retain its leaves in warmer climates but drops them in colder areas. They produce blue-grey berries that have a wax coating on them that can be used to make candles or soaps.

In colder hardiness zones the leaves turn an attractive orange to red colour in the fall, making it a striking addition to your landscape.

Northern Bayberry is native to Nova Scotia and tolerates both drought and wet conditions. It is also a nitrogen fixer that tolerates poor soil conditions.

Thimbleberry Quick Facts

Northern Bayberry Quick Facts

Zone: 4a
Zone: 3a
Height: 1.5 m (5 ft)
Height: 2.4 m (8 ft)
Spread: 1.5 m (5 ft)
Spread: 2.4 m (8 ft)
Moisture: any
Moisture: normal
Light: partial shade, full sun
Light: partial shade, full sun
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: yes
Fall colour: gold
Berries: edible, red, similar to raspberries
Berries: blue-gray
Flowers: white, showy
Growth rate: fast
Growth rate: slow
Life span: medium
Life span: long
Suckering: none
Suckering: medium




Toxicity: Warning: The wax from bayberry fruit is considered toxic and may be carcinogenic.
Other Names: thimbleberry, western thimbleberry
Other Names: candlewood, myrique de pennsylvanie, small waxberry, swamp candleberry, tallow bayberry, tallow shrub, tallow tree, tallowshrub