Meadowsweet vs Grouseberry - TreeTime.ca

Meadowsweet vs Grouseberry

Vaccinium scoparium

Filipendula ulmaria

CUSTOM GROW

CUSTOM GROW

Grouseberry
Meadowsweet

Grouseberry is a native, low-growing deciduous shrub known for its edible red berries. In early summer, it produces small, urn-shaped flowers ranging from white to pink that attract bees and other pollinators. The berries provide an important food source for many types of wildlife, including game birds such as grouse, which gives the plant its common name. People can also enjoy the berries fresh or in baked goods, though they can be difficult to harvest in large quantities.

Spreading by rhizomes, Grouseberry forms dense, broom-like mats that help stabilize soil and prevent erosion, while also providing cover for ground-nesting wildlife. It is commonly found beneath conifers in open forests, subalpine meadows, and occasionally on rocky slopes in mountainous regions. It is well-suited for naturalization, ecological restoration, and soil stabilization projects.

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.

Grouseberry Quick Facts

Meadowsweet Quick Facts

Zone: 2a
Zone: 3a
Height: 0.3 m (1.0 ft)
Height: 1.2 m (4 ft)
Spread: 0.3 m (1.0 ft)
Spread: 0.3 m (1.0 ft)
Light: shade, partial shade
Light: partial shade, full sun
Moisture: normal
Moisture: normal, wet
Growth rate: slow
Growth rate: fast
Life span: medium
Life span: short
Growth form: low growing, colony-forming
Spreading: rhizomes - medium
Suckering: low
Maintenance: medium


Fall colour: reddish
Flowers: small pink, bell-shaped
Flowers: white
Bloom time: spring
Berries: small, bright red, edible
Flavor: tart
Harvest: summer
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no


Native to: AB, BC
Other Names: dwarf red whortleberry, grouse whortleberry, little-leaved huckleberry, red alpine blueberry, small-leaved huckleberry
Other Names: bride wort, mead wort