Schubert Chokecherry vs Bilberry - TreeTime.ca

Schubert Chokecherry vs Bilberry

Prunus virginiana Schubert

Vaccinium myrtillus

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

CUSTOM GROW

Schubert Chokecherry
Bilberry

Schubert Chokecherry is similar to a western chokecherry but features beautiful purple-red leaves throughout the summer.

This small, flowering tree is perfectly suited as an ornamental for city yards.

The fruit from this tree is a staff favourite for jams, jellies, and wines.

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.

Schubert Chokecherry Quick Facts

Bilberry Quick Facts

Zone: 2a
Zone: 3a
Height: 7 m (23 ft)
Height: 0.3 m (1.0 ft)
Spread: 4 m (12 ft)
Spread: 0.5 m (1.5 ft)
Light: full sun
Light: partial shade, full sun
Moisture: normal
Moisture: normal
Growth rate: fast
Growth rate: slow
Life span: short
Life span: medium
Growth form: low growing, clump-forming
Spreading: rhizomes - medium, seeds - medium
Suckering: high
Maintenance: medium

Toxicity: Toxic to animals with segmented stomachs (horses, cattle, deer moose, etc.)

Toxicity: leaves may be unsafe in high doses
Fall colour: dark red
Flowers: white
Flowers: white or pink, bell-shaped
Bloom time: summer
Fruit: edible dark red berries, 10mm diameter, pitted, tart, good
Berries: edible dark red berries, 10mm diameter, pitted, tart, good
Berries: round bluish-purple berries, edible
Flavor: sweet
Harvest: late summer to early fall
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no


Native to: AB, BC
Other Names: common bilberry, dwarf bilberry, low bilberry, myrtille, myrtle blueberry, myrtle whortleberry, whortleberry