Redwing Highbush Cranberry vs Sweet Gale

The Redwing Highbush Cranberry is a dense multi-stemmed shrub that blooms with white pinwheel shaped flowers in spring. It produces small, red, and edible berries in late summer. Its leaves are green, but the tips become more saturated with red throughout the season, and then turn a stunning crimson colour in the fall.

The Redwing Highbush Cranberry makes a good addition to any urban garden or hedge, and its berries are commonly used to liven up preserves with their tart flavor.

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.

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