Albion Strawberry vs Bilberry - TreeTime.ca

Albion Strawberry vs Bilberry

Fragaria ananassa Albion

Vaccinium myrtillus

CUSTOM GROW

Albion Strawberry
Bilberry

Albion Strawberry is an Day Neutral (Long Day, Everbearing) hybrid that produces berries all summer and into fall. It is heat tolerant and disease resistant, and grows well in warmer climates. Its conical fruit, bright red color, and reliable firmness, make the fruit excellent for fresh eating, or in pies or jellies.

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.

Albion Strawberry Quick Facts

Bilberry Quick Facts

Lowest Price: $1.09 - SAVE UP TO 73%
Zone: 4a
Zone: 3a
Height: 0.3 m (1.0 ft)
Height: 0.3 m (1.0 ft)
Spread: 0.6 m (2.0 ft)
Spread: 0.5 m (1.5 ft)
Light: full sun
Light: partial shade, full sun
Moisture: normal, wet
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: high


Toxicity: leaves may be unsafe in high doses
Flowers: white or pink, bell-shaped
Bloom time: summer
Berries: sweet
Berries: round bluish-purple berries, edible
Firmness: firm
Flavor: sweet dessert berry
Flavor: sweet
Harvest: spring through summer
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