Wild Strawberry vs Bilberry - TreeTime.ca

Wild Strawberry vs Bilberry

Vaccinium myrtillus

Fragaria virginiana

CUSTOM GROW

Bilberry
Wild Strawberry

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.

Often called the Woodland Strawberry, the Wild Strawberry produces a sweet, edible red berry all throughout the later spring and summer. This compact, stemless plant spreads mostly through the means of runners, and grows quickly.

Flowers and fruit of the Wild Strawberry are usually present simultaneously throughout the summer. This variety is native to North America, which gives it its name.

Bilberry Quick Facts

Wild Strawberry Quick Facts

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Zone: 3a
Zone: 3a
Height: 0.3 m (1.0 ft)
Height: 0.1 m (0.3 ft)
Spread: 0.5 m (1.5 ft)
Spread: 0.3 m (1.0 ft)
Light: partial shade, full sun
Light: partial shade, full sun
Moisture: normal
Moisture: dry, normal
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

Fall colour: red to purple
Flowers: white or pink, bell-shaped
Flowers: white
Bloom time: summer
Fruit: small
Berries: round bluish-purple berries, edible
Berries: sweet
Flavor: sweet
Harvest: late summer to early fall
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no


Native to: AB, BC
Native to: AB, BC, SK, MB, ON, QC, NS, NB, NL, YT, NT, NU, PE
Other Names: common bilberry, dwarf bilberry, low bilberry, myrtille, myrtle blueberry, myrtle whortleberry, whortleberry
Other Names: common strawberry, mountain strawberry, virginia strawberry