Balsors Blackberry vs Black Crowberry - TreeTime.ca

Balsors Blackberry vs Black Crowberry

Rubus fruticosus Balsors

Empetrum nigrum

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

CUSTOM GROW

Balsors Blackberry
Black Crowberry

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.

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.

Balsors Blackberry Quick Facts

Black Crowberry Quick Facts

Zone: 4a
Zone: 3a
Height: 1.5 m (5 ft)
Height: 0.2 m (0.5 ft)
Spread: 1.2 m (4 ft)
Spread: 0.4 m (1.3 ft)
Light: full sun
Light: partial shade, full sun
Moisture: normal
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
Maintenance: medium


Foliage: evergreen needle-like leaves
Bark: has thorns
Flowers: pink-red, very small
Bloom time: late spring to early summer
Berries: black
Berries: purplish-black, edible
Fruit size: large
Firmness: soft
Flavor: sweet
Flavor: bland, slightly bitter
Harvest: August
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: balsors hardy blackberry, illinois blackberry
Other Names: crakeberry, curlewberry, heathberry, northern crowberry