Anthony Waterer Spiraea vs Small Cranberry - TreeTime.ca

Anthony Waterer Spiraea vs Small Cranberry

Spiraea japonica Anthony Waterer

Vaccinium oxycoccos

CUSTOM GROW

CUSTOM GROW

Anthony Waterer Spiraea
Small Cranberry

Anthony Waterer Spiraea is a low maintenance shrub with a dwarf, rounded form. In spring and summer rosy pink blooms emerge against green foliage. Its tolerance of a variety of well-drained soils makes it an ideal foundation, landscaping, or border plant.

If deer and rabbit are an issue on your property, consider planting Anthony Waterer Spiraea for its deer/rabbit resistance. Due to its compact form, minimal pruning is required.

Small Cranberry is a native evergreen groundcover found in bogs, fens, and wet meadows. It produces delicate pink flowers that attract a variety of pollinators, including bees, and it serves as both a nectar source and host plant for the Bog Fritillary (Boloria eunomia) butterfly. By late summer, the plant bears deep red berries that are eaten by both wildlife and people. With their high pectin content, the berries are well-suited for making jams and jellies.

Often creeping among sphagnum moss, Small Cranberry thrives in cold, acidic, and nutrient-poor soils (pH 2.9–4.7), making it well adapted to northern wetland environments. With its woody stems, it is technically classified as a shrub and often described as a subshrub or dwarf shrub. It is also valuable for wetland restoration and naturalisation projects.

Note: We use Small Cranberry for Vaccinium oxycoccos. This species is also known by many other common names, including Bog Cranberry, Small Bog Cranberry, and others. Please confirm the scientific name to ensure you are ordering the correct plant.

Anthony Waterer Spiraea Quick Facts

Small Cranberry Quick Facts

Zone: 3a
Zone: 1b
Height: 0.9 m (3 ft)
Height: 0.1 m (0.2 ft)
Spread: 1.2 m (4 ft)
Spread: 0.5 m (1.5 ft)
Light: full sun
Light: any
Moisture: normal, wet
Moisture: wet
Growth rate: medium
Growth rate: fast
Life span: short
Life span: medium
Growth form: creeping, ground cover
Spreading: rhizomes - medium, layering - medium
Suckering: low


Foliage: small, leathery, evergreen
Fall colour: orange to red
Flowers: bright pink flowers
Flowers: pink, nodding with reflexed petals
Bloom time: late spring to early summer
Berries: small red cranberries, edible
Flavor: tart
Harvest: late summer to fall
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no


Native to: AB, BC, SK, MB, ON, QC, NS, NB, NL, YT, NT, NU, PE
Other Names: marshberry, small bog cranberry, swamp cranberry