Amur Grape vs Bilberry - TreeTime.ca

Amur Grape vs Bilberry

Vitis amurensis

Vaccinium myrtillus

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

Amur Grape
Bilberry

The Amur Grape is an ornamental grape that fruits dark, sour, juicy grapes later in the fall. It is native to Asia, and found growing wild in Russia and China. It’s one of the most cold-hardy grape varieties, prized for its foliage that turns from a bright green to a deep crimson and purple in the fall. The flowers are small and white, usually appearing in the beginning of May.

The name for the Amur Grape comes from the Amur Valley, located in Russia. It’s extremely resistant to frost. The berries are good for fresh eating, but also make a flavorful addition to any homemade wines and preserves. The leaves are also edible, and are commonly used in salads. This plant does best with a trellis.

Note: We do not ship grape vines to BC due to regulatory restrictions from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.

American Black Currant is a native deciduous shrub known for its clusters of small black berries that ripen in mid-to-late summer. The berries are edible and have long been used for fresh eating, preserves, and baking. They provide food for birds and mammals, and their fragrant spring flowers attract bees and other pollinators.

American Black Currant’s foliage serves as a host plant for butterfly species such as the Green Comma and Gray Comma, and its dense branching offers cover for wildlife. The shrub has traditionally been planted in shelterbelts, riparian buffers, and restoration projects.

Amur Grape Quick Facts

Bilberry Quick Facts

Zone: 2a
Zone: 3a
Height: 15 m (49 ft)
Height: 0.3 m (1.0 ft)
Spread: 5 m (18 ft)
Spread: 0.5 m (1.5 ft)
Light: partial shade, full sun
Light: partial shade, full sun
Moisture: any
Moisture: normal
Growth rate: medium
Growth rate: slow
Life span: long
Life span: medium
Growth form: low growing, clump-forming
Spreading: rhizomes - medium, seeds - medium
Suckering: none


Toxicity: leaves may be unsafe in high doses
Bark: dark scaly
Flowers: white or pink, bell-shaped
Bloom time: summer
Berries: dark purple black blue
Berries: round bluish-purple berries, edible
Firmness: firm
Flavor: sour juicy
Flavor: sweet
Harvest: late september
Harvest: late summer to early fall
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