Wentworth Highbush Cranberry vs Bilberry - TreeTime.ca

Wentworth Highbush Cranberry vs Bilberry

Vaccinium myrtillus

Viburnum trilobum Wentworth

CUSTOM GROW

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

Bilberry
Wentworth Highbush Cranberry

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.

Wentworth Highbush Cranberry is an ample producer that will make you think of the perfect cranberry sauce when you see it. Its huge fruit is delectable in jellies and sauces. In the spring it bears clusters of white flowers, contrasted against green vegetation that turns a rich red in the fall. Magnificent in garden borders or mass planting, you’ll appreciate your cranberry on your table and in your yard.

Bilberry Quick Facts

Wentworth Highbush Cranberry Quick Facts

Zone: 3a
Zone: 2a
Height: 0.3 m (1.0 ft)
Height: 3 m (10 ft)
Spread: 0.5 m (1.5 ft)
Spread: 3 m (10 ft)
Light: partial shade, full sun
Light: partial shade, full sun
Moisture: normal
Moisture: normal, wet
Growth rate: slow
Growth rate: medium
Life span: medium
Life span: short
Growth form: low growing, clump-forming
Spreading: rhizomes - medium, seeds - medium
Suckering: none

Toxicity: leaves may be unsafe in high doses

Fall colour: brilliant red
Flowers: white or pink, bell-shaped
Bloom time: summer
Berries: round bluish-purple berries, edible
Berries: 12mm, edible red berries
Flavor: sweet
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
Other Names: wentworth redwing cranberry