Autumn Brilliance Saskatoon (Serviceberry) vs Bilberry - TreeTime.ca

Autumn Brilliance Saskatoon (Serviceberry) vs Bilberry

Amelanchier x grandiflora Autumn Brilliance

Vaccinium myrtillus

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

CUSTOM GROW

Autumn Brilliance Saskatoon (Serviceberry)
Bilberry

Prized for its brilliant orange-red fall color and disease resistance, this exceptionally bright tree is an excellent focal point for your garden. In the spring, clusters of fragrant white flowers give way to edible purplish black fruit that is heavenly in jams, jellies and pies. Use this Saskatoon in shrub borders or as a small tree.

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.

Autumn Brilliance Saskatoon (Serviceberry) Quick Facts

Bilberry Quick Facts

Zone: 3a
Zone: 3a
Height: 8 m (25 ft)
Height: 0.3 m (1.0 ft)
Spread: 5 m (15 ft)
Spread: 0.5 m (1.5 ft)
Light: partial shade, full sun
Light: partial shade, full sun
Moisture: normal
Moisture: normal
Growth rate: fast
Growth rate: slow
Life span: short
Life span: medium
Growth form: low growing, clump-forming
Spreading: rhizomes - medium, seeds - medium
Suckering: medium


Toxicity: leaves may be unsafe in high doses
Fall colour: gold to red
Flowers: white or pink, bell-shaped
Bloom time: summer
Berries: deep purple and sweet
Berries: round bluish-purple berries, edible
Flavor: sweet
Harvest: late summer to early fall
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no


Native to: AB, BC, SK, MB, ON, YT, NT
Native to: AB, BC
Other Names: common bilberry, dwarf bilberry, low bilberry, myrtille, myrtle blueberry, myrtle whortleberry, whortleberry