Wild Red Raspberry vs Northern Bayberry - TreeTime.ca

Wild Red Raspberry vs Northern Bayberry

Rubus idaeus

Myrica pensylvanica

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Wild Red Raspberry
Northern Bayberry

The Wild Red Raspberry produces small, tart, red berries. They are delicious when eaten fresh, but also add flavor to preserves or desserts. They are highly suckering and can be high yielding.

The Wild Red Raspberry is also otherwise known as the American Red Raspberry, European Red Raspberry, Grayleaf Raspberry, or the Common Red Raspberry.

The Wild Red Raspberry 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.

Northern Bayberry makes an excellent hedge or feature shrub. It will retain its leaves in warmer climates but drops them in colder areas. They produce blue-grey berries that have a wax coating on them that can be used to make candles or soaps.

In colder hardiness zones the leaves turn an attractive orange to red colour in the fall, making it a striking addition to your landscape.

Northern Bayberry is native to Nova Scotia and tolerates both drought and wet conditions. It is also a nitrogen fixer that tolerates poor soil conditions.

Wild Red Raspberry Quick Facts

Northern Bayberry Quick Facts

Zone: 1a
Zone: 3a
Height: 1.5 m (5 ft)
Height: 2.4 m (8 ft)
Spread: 1.5 m (5 ft)
Spread: 2.4 m (8 ft)
Light: partial shade, full sun
Light: partial shade, full sun
Moisture: normal
Moisture: normal
Growth rate: fast
Growth rate: slow
Life span: short
Life span: long
Suckering: high
Suckering: medium
Maintenance: medium


Toxicity: Warning: The wax from bayberry fruit is considered toxic and may be carcinogenic.
Flowers: white
Fruit: small, tart
Berries: blue-gray
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: yes


Native to: AB, BC, SK, MB, ON, QC, NS, NB, NL, YT, NT, NU, PE
Native to: ON, QC, NS, NB, NL, PE
Other Names: american red raspberry, common red raspberry, european red raspberry, grayleaf red raspberry, red raspberry
Other Names: candlewood, myrique de pennsylvanie, small waxberry, swamp candleberry, tallow bayberry, tallow shrub, tallow tree, tallowshrub