Wild Strawberry vs Black Crowberry - TreeTime.ca

Wild Strawberry vs Black Crowberry

Empetrum nigrum

Fragaria virginiana

CUSTOM GROW

COMING SOON

(new stock expected: fall of 2025)

Black Crowberry
Wild Strawberry

Black Crowberry is a native evergreen shrub that forms low, spreading mats. It has unique foliage that spiral around the stem, and small dark berries, giving it visual appeal. The berries are edible, but can be acidic, so are not generally eaten fresh. In colder climates they have a sweet, tart taste, and are dried, used in deserts, or for making jams or jellies.
It provides food for birds and mammals, while its flowers attract pollinators such as bees. Its ability to grow in harsh climates makes it an important species for ecological balance.
Black Crowberry has historical significance as it provided a vital food source for the indigenous cultures of the arctic regions. It is abundant in Scandinavia and is used to make liqueurs, wines, and juices. In Newfoundland and Labrador the berries are known locally as ‘blackberries’ and are used in jams, jellies and baked goods like buns and puddings.

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.

Black Crowberry Quick Facts

Wild Strawberry Quick Facts

Zone: 3a
Zone: 3a
Height: 0.2 m (0.5 ft)
Height: 0.1 m (0.3 ft)
Spread: 0.4 m (1.3 ft)
Spread: 0.3 m (1.0 ft)
Light: partial shade, full sun
Light: partial shade, full sun
Moisture: any
Moisture: dry, normal
Growth rate: slow
Growth rate: fast
Life span: medium
Life span: short
Growth form: low growing, matt-forming
Spreading: rhizomes - medium, seeds - low
Suckering: high
Maintenance: medium


Foliage: evergreen needle-like leaves
Fall colour: red to purple
Flowers: pink-red, very small
Flowers: white
Bloom time: late spring to early summer
Fruit: small
Berries: purplish-black, edible
Berries: sweet
Flavor: bland, slightly bitter
Harvest: late summer to fall
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no


Native to: AB, BC, SK, MB, ON, QC, NS, NB, NL, YT, NT, NU
Native to: AB, BC, SK, MB, ON, QC, NS, NB, NL, YT, NT, NU, PE
Other Names: crakeberry, curlewberry, heathberry, northern crowberry
Other Names: common strawberry, mountain strawberry, virginia strawberry