Wentworth Highbush Cranberry vs Sweet Gale - TreeTime.ca

Wentworth Highbush Cranberry vs Sweet Gale

Viburnum trilobum Wentworth

Myrica gale

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

Wentworth Highbush Cranberry
Sweet Gale

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.

Sweet Gale is a native, nitrogen-fixing shrub known for its aromatic foliage. Tiny glands on the leaves release a balmy, bay leaf-like scent with floral and citrus notes. In spring, the yellowish male catkins provide one of the earliest sources of pollen for bees and other insects. While later in the season, the female catkins produce seeds that are eaten by waterfowl. Sweet Gale is dioecious, meaning male and female flowers occur on separate plants.

Sweet Gale thrives in wet, acidic soils and is commonly found along wetlands and lakeshores. It can help stabilize shorelines, while its dense growth provides valuable cover for wildlife. It is well-suited for naturalization, wetland restoration, and erosion control projects.

Wentworth Highbush Cranberry Quick Facts

Sweet Gale Quick Facts

Zone: 2a
Zone: 1b
Height: 3 m (10 ft)
Height: 1.2 m (4 ft)
Spread: 3 m (10 ft)
Spread: 0.9 m (3 ft)
Light: partial shade, full sun
Light: partial shade, full sun
Moisture: normal, wet
Moisture: normal, wet
Growth rate: medium
Growth rate: medium
Life span: short
Life span: medium
Growth form: upright, thicket-forming
Spreading: suckering - medium, seeds - low
Suckering: none


Foliage: dotted with yellow glands, sweet scented
Fall colour: brilliant red
Fall colour: yellow
Bark: reddish-purple, dotted with yellow glands
Berries: 12mm, edible red berries
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: yes


Native to: AB, BC, SK, MB, ON, QC, NS, NB, NL, YT, NT, NU, PE
Other Names: wentworth redwing cranberry
Other Names: bog myrtle, meadow-fern, sweet bayberry, sweetgale