Jewel Raspberry vs Bilberry - TreeTime.ca

Jewel Raspberry vs Bilberry

Vaccinium myrtillus

Rubus x Jewel

CUSTOM GROW

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

Bilberry
Jewel Raspberry

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.

The Jewel Raspberry is one of the most popular black raspberry varieties, as it is consistently high-yielding and produces large, firm, and sweet berries. This cultivar is among one of the first raspberries to ripen each year, with berries ready for harvest in early to mid summer and is a vigorous grower.

The Jewel Raspberry is self-pollinating, and is a primocane variety meaning that it produces fruit on first years' growth. Prune stalks down each winter or early spring to get higher fruit yields and easier harvesting.

Bilberry Quick Facts

Jewel Raspberry Quick Facts

Zone: 3a
Zone: 4b
Height: 0.3 m (1.0 ft)
Height: 0.9 m (3 ft)
Spread: 0.5 m (1.5 ft)
Spread: 0.9 m (3 ft)
Light: partial shade, full sun
Light: full sun
Moisture: normal
Moisture: normal, wet
Growth rate: slow
Growth rate: fast
Life span: medium
Life span: short
Growth form: low growing, clump-forming
Spreading: rhizomes - medium, seeds - medium
Suckering: high
Maintenance: medium

Toxicity: leaves may be unsafe in high doses

Flowers: white or pink, bell-shaped
Bloom time: summer
Berries: round bluish-purple berries, edible
Berries: black, large
Firmness: firm
Flavor: sweet
Harvest: late summer to early fall
Harvest: August
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
Other Names: jewel black raspberry