Schubert Chokecherry vs Sweet Gale - TreeTime.ca

Schubert Chokecherry vs Sweet Gale

Prunus virginiana Schubert

Myrica gale

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

CUSTOM GROW

Schubert Chokecherry
Sweet Gale

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.

Sweet Gale is a native, nitrogen-fixing shrub known for its aromatic foliage. Tiny glands on the leaves release a balmy, bay leaf-like scent with floral and citrus notes. In spring, the yellowish male catkins provide one of the earliest sources of pollen for bees and other insects. While later in the season, the female catkins produce seeds that are eaten by waterfowl. Sweet Gale is dioecious, meaning male and female flowers occur on separate plants.

Sweet Gale thrives in wet, acidic soils and is commonly found along wetlands and lakeshores. It can help stabilize shorelines, while its dense growth provides valuable cover for wildlife. It is well-suited for naturalization, wetland restoration, and erosion control projects.

Schubert Chokecherry Quick Facts

Sweet Gale Quick Facts

Zone: 2a
Zone: 1b
Height: 7 m (23 ft)
Height: 1.2 m (4 ft)
Spread: 4 m (12 ft)
Spread: 0.9 m (3 ft)
Light: full sun
Light: partial shade, full sun
Moisture: normal
Moisture: normal, wet
Growth rate: fast
Growth rate: medium
Life span: short
Life span: medium
Growth form: upright, thicket-forming
Spreading: suckering - medium, seeds - low
Suckering: high
Maintenance: medium

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

Foliage: dotted with yellow glands, sweet scented
Fall colour: dark red
Fall colour: yellow
Bark: reddish-purple, dotted with yellow glands
Flowers: white
Fruit: edible dark red berries, 10mm diameter, pitted, tart, good
Berries: edible dark red berries, 10mm diameter, pitted, tart, good
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: yes


Native to: AB, BC, SK, MB, ON, QC, NS, NB, NL, YT, NT, NU, PE
Other Names: bog myrtle, meadow-fern, sweet bayberry, sweetgale