Riverbank Grape vs Bilberry - TreeTime.ca

Riverbank Grape vs Bilberry

Vaccinium myrtillus

Vitis riparia

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

CUSTOM GROW

Bilberry
Riverbank Grape

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.

The Riverbank Grape, also known as the Frost Grape, or Wild Grape, is a cold-hardy variety that produces fragrant white flowers in the spring and then tart, purple grapes late in the summer.

The Riverbank Grape is a vigorous grower that attracts lots of wildlife, who enjoy the fruit and flowers. This plant is native to North America, and is also highly resistant to fungal diseases, making this a great addition to your city gardens. 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.

Bilberry Quick Facts

Riverbank Grape Quick Facts

Zone: 3a
Zone: 2a
Height: 0.3 m (1.0 ft)
Height: 6 m (20 ft)
Spread: 0.5 m (1.5 ft)
Spread: 0.6 m (2.0 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: long
Growth form: low growing, clump-forming
Spreading: rhizomes - medium, seeds - medium
Suckering: none

Toxicity: leaves may be unsafe in high doses

Bark: yellow-red to brown
Flowers: white or pink, bell-shaped
Flowers: fragrant white
Bloom time: summer
Berries: round bluish-purple berries, edible
Berries: purple
Firmness: firm
Flavor: sweet
Flavor: tart
Harvest: late summer to early fall
Harvest: late summer
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no


Native to: AB, BC
Native to: MB, ON, QC, NB
Other Names: common bilberry, dwarf bilberry, low bilberry, myrtille, myrtle blueberry, myrtle whortleberry, whortleberry
Other Names: frost grape, wild grape