Balsors Blackberry vs Northern Bayberry - TreeTime.ca

Balsors Blackberry vs Northern Bayberry

Rubus fruticosus Balsors

Myrica pensylvanica

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON

Balsors Blackberry
Northern Bayberry

The Balsors Blackberry is a cold-hardy variety that produces very large, sweet and juicy blackberries late in the summer. They are great for baking and fresh eating.

Balsors Blackberry are floricanes, primarily fruiting on second year canes. Each spring cut back all two-year old canes, leaving only the last year’s growth. This is a self-pollinating variety, so it doesn’t require a second plant nearby to set fruit.

Northern Bayberry makes an excellent hedge or feature shrub. It will retain its leaves in warmer climates but drops them in colder areas. They produce blue-grey berries that have a wax coating on them that can be used to make candles or soaps.

In colder hardiness zones the leaves turn an attractive orange to red colour in the fall, making it a striking addition to your landscape.

Northern Bayberry is native to Nova Scotia and tolerates both drought and wet conditions. It is also a nitrogen fixer that tolerates poor soil conditions.

Balsors Blackberry Quick Facts

Northern Bayberry Quick Facts

Zone: 4a
Zone: 3a
Height: 1.5 m (5 ft)
Height: 2.4 m (8 ft)
Spread: 1.2 m (4 ft)
Spread: 2.4 m (8 ft)
Moisture: normal
Moisture: normal
Light: full sun
Light: partial shade, full sun
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: yes
Berries: black
Berries: blue-gray
Fruit size: large
Firmness: soft
Flavor: sweet
Harvest: August
Bark: has thorns
Growth rate: fast
Growth rate: slow
Life span: short
Life span: long
Maintenance: medium
Suckering: low
Suckering: medium




Toxicity: Warning: The wax from bayberry fruit is considered toxic and may be carcinogenic.
Other Names: balsors hardy blackberry, illinois blackberry
Other Names: candlewood, myrique de pennsylvanie, small waxberry, swamp candleberry, tallow bayberry, tallow shrub, tallow tree, tallowshrub