Black Raspberry vs Grouseberry - TreeTime.ca

Black Raspberry vs Grouseberry

Rubus occidentalis

Vaccinium scoparium

CUSTOM GROW

Black Raspberry
Grouseberry

The Black Raspberry is a multi-stemmed shrub that produces edible red berries that deepen to black as they mature. The berries are flavorful and are great for fresh eating and preserves. Black Raspberry shrubs bloom in late spring with white, rose-like flowers and attract many pollinators such as bees and butterflies.

Black Raspberries are floricanes primarily fruiting on second year canes. Each spring cut back all two-year old canes, leaving only the last year’s growth.

Grouseberry is a native, low-growing deciduous shrub known for its edible red berries. In early summer, it produces small, urn-shaped flowers ranging from white to pink that attract bees and other pollinators. The berries provide an important food source for many types of wildlife, including game birds such as grouse, which gives the plant its common name. People can also enjoy the berries fresh or in baked goods, though they can be difficult to harvest in large quantities.

Spreading by rhizomes, Grouseberry forms dense, broom-like mats that help stabilize soil and prevent erosion, while also providing cover for ground-nesting wildlife. It is commonly found beneath conifers in open forests, subalpine meadows, and occasionally on rocky slopes in mountainous regions. It is well-suited for naturalization, ecological restoration, and soil stabilization projects.

Black Raspberry Quick Facts

Grouseberry Quick Facts

Lowest Price: $15.99
Zone: 3a
Zone: 2a
Height: 1.8 m (6 ft)
Height: 0.3 m (1.0 ft)
Spread: 1.8 m (6 ft)
Spread: 0.3 m (1.0 ft)
Light: any
Light: shade, partial shade
Moisture: normal
Moisture: normal
Growth rate: fast
Growth rate: slow
Life span: short
Life span: medium
Growth form: low growing, colony-forming
Spreading: rhizomes - medium
Suckering: high
Maintenance: medium
Maintenance: medium


Fall colour: reddish
Flowers: small pink, bell-shaped
Bloom time: spring
Berries: red to black
Berries: small, bright red, edible
Flavor: tart
Harvest: summer
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no


Native to: ON, QC, NB
Native to: AB, BC
Other Names: bears eye blackberry, black cap, scotch cap
Other Names: dwarf red whortleberry, grouse whortleberry, little-leaved huckleberry, red alpine blueberry, small-leaved huckleberry