Patriot Blueberry vs Sweet Gale - TreeTime.ca

Patriot Blueberry vs Sweet Gale

Vaccinium x Patriot

Myrica gale

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

Patriot Blueberry
Sweet Gale

The Patriot Blueberry offers the largest fruit of all the early season blueberries and thrives in an acidic soil with a low pH. With fruit that can easily grow to the size of a quarter, you'll be known for having the largest blueberries for miles. The Patriot Blueberry is ideal for fresh eating, baking, and preserving. Cold hardy and self-pollinating, the Patriot Blueberry is also resistant to root rot.

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.

Patriot Blueberry Quick Facts

Sweet Gale Quick Facts

Zone: 3a
Zone: 1b
Height: 1.8 m (6 ft)
Height: 1.2 m (4 ft)
Spread: 1.8 m (6 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: medium
Maintenance: medium


Foliage: dotted with yellow glands, sweet scented
Fall colour: red to deep red
Fall colour: yellow
Bark: reddish-purple, dotted with yellow glands
Flowers: white, pink tinged
Berries: edible blue
Firmness: firm
Flavor: sweet, mild
Harvest: July
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: patriot highbush blueberry, patriot northern highbush blueberry
Other Names: bog myrtle, meadow-fern, sweet bayberry, sweetgale