Riverbank Grape vs Bilberry - TreeTime.ca

Riverbank Grape vs Bilberry

Vitis riparia

Vaccinium myrtillus

CUSTOM GROW

CUSTOM GROW

Riverbank Grape
Bilberry

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 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.

Riverbank Grape Quick Facts

Bilberry Quick Facts

Zone: 2a
Zone: 3a
Height: 6 m (20 ft)
Height: 0.3 m (1.0 ft)
Spread: 0.6 m (2.0 ft)
Spread: 0.5 m (1.5 ft)
Light: full sun
Light: partial shade, full sun
Moisture: normal, wet
Moisture: normal
Growth rate: fast
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: yellow-red to brown
Flowers: fragrant white
Flowers: white or pink, bell-shaped
Bloom time: summer
Berries: purple
Berries: round bluish-purple berries, edible
Firmness: firm
Flavor: tart
Flavor: sweet
Harvest: late summer
Harvest: late summer to early fall
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no


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