Meadowsweet vs Black Crowberry - TreeTime.ca

Meadowsweet vs Black Crowberry

Filipendula ulmaria

Empetrum nigrum

CUSTOM GROW

CUSTOM GROW

Meadowsweet
Black Crowberry

Meadowsweet gets its name from its sweet fragrance from the creamy white flowers. It is a large upright herbaceous perennial shrub. They bloom in early summer, and with the right conditions may remain throughout the season.

Take care of where you’re planting Meadowsweet as it is known to spread.

Black Crowberry is a native evergreen shrub that forms low, spreading mats. It has unique foliage that spiral around the stem, and small dark berries, giving it visual appeal. The berries are edible, but can be acidic, so are not generally eaten fresh. In colder climates they have a sweet, tart taste, and are dried, used in deserts, or for making jams or jellies.
It provides food for birds and mammals, while its flowers attract pollinators such as bees. Its ability to grow in harsh climates makes it an important species for ecological balance.
Black Crowberry has historical significance as it provided a vital food source for the indigenous cultures of the arctic regions. It is abundant in Scandinavia and is used to make liqueurs, wines, and juices. In Newfoundland and Labrador the berries are known locally as ‘blackberries’ and are used in jams, jellies and baked goods like buns and puddings.

Meadowsweet Quick Facts

Black Crowberry Quick Facts

Zone: 3a
Zone: 3a
Height: 1.2 m (4 ft)
Height: 0.2 m (0.5 ft)
Spread: 0.3 m (1.0 ft)
Spread: 0.4 m (1.3 ft)
Light: partial shade, full sun
Light: partial shade, full sun
Moisture: normal, wet
Moisture: any
Growth rate: fast
Growth rate: slow
Life span: short
Life span: medium
Growth form: low growing, matt-forming
Spreading: rhizomes - medium, seeds - low
Suckering: low


Foliage: evergreen needle-like leaves
Flowers: white
Flowers: pink-red, very small
Bloom time: late spring to early summer
Berries: purplish-black, edible
Flavor: bland, slightly bitter
Harvest: late summer to fall
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no


Native to: AB, BC, SK, MB, ON, QC, NS, NB, NL, YT, NT, NU
Other Names: bride wort, mead wort
Other Names: crakeberry, curlewberry, heathberry, northern crowberry