Northblue Blueberry vs Bilberry - TreeTime.ca

Northblue Blueberry vs Bilberry

Vaccinium corymbosum Northblue

Vaccinium myrtillus

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

CUSTOM GROW

Northblue Blueberry
Bilberry

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.

Bilberry is a native perennial shrub valued for its small, blue-black berries that ripen in mid to late summer. The berries resemble blueberries but have a richer, more tart, and intense flavor. They have long been used for fresh eating, baking, and preserves, while also providing food for birds and mammals. In spring, its delicate pinkish flowers attract bees and other pollinators.

Growing low to the ground, Bilberry forms spreading colonies that create dense understory cover. This growth habit provides food and shelter for wildlife, and its foliage adds seasonal interest by turning red to purple in autumn. With its adaptability and ecological benefits, Bilberry is well-suited for naturalization, ecological restoration, and pollinator gardens.

Northblue Blueberry Quick Facts

Bilberry Quick Facts

Zone: 3a
Zone: 3a
Height: 0.6 m (2.0 ft)
Height: 0.3 m (1.0 ft)
Spread: 0.9 m (3 ft)
Spread: 0.5 m (1.5 ft)
Light: partial shade, full sun
Light: partial shade, full sun
Moisture: normal
Moisture: normal
Growth rate: medium
Growth rate: slow
Life span: short
Life span: medium
Growth form: low growing, clump-forming
Spreading: rhizomes - medium, seeds - medium
Suckering: none


Toxicity: leaves may be unsafe in high doses
Fall colour: dark red
Flowers: white or pink, bell-shaped
Bloom time: summer
Berries: large clusters of blue berries
Berries: round bluish-purple berries, edible
Fruit size: large
Firmness: firmer
Flavor: sweet/juicy
Flavor: sweet
Harvest: mid summer
Harvest: late summer to early fall
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no


Native to: AB, BC
Other Names: common bilberry, dwarf bilberry, low bilberry, myrtille, myrtle blueberry, myrtle whortleberry, whortleberry