Firecracker Goji Berry vs Small Cranberry - TreeTime.ca

Firecracker Goji Berry vs Small Cranberry

Lycium barbarum Firecracker

Vaccinium oxycoccos

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

CUSTOM GROW

Firecracker Goji Berry
Small Cranberry

The Firecracker Goji Berry is a thornless cultivar of the Goji Berry that is known for its sweet red berries. This deciduous perennial produces purple flowers from June through September, with fruit maturation taking place between August and October. Fruit production typically starts in the second year of growth with maximum production in the fourth and fifth year.

Firecracker Goji Berry berries are delicious, nutrient rich, high in antioxidants, and are often called a super fruit. Many describe the Firecracker as sweeter than other cultivars.

Small Cranberry is a native evergreen groundcover found in bogs, fens, and wet meadows. It produces delicate pink flowers that attract a variety of pollinators, including bees, and it serves as both a nectar source and host plant for the Bog Fritillary (Boloria eunomia) butterfly. By late summer, the plant bears deep red berries that are eaten by both wildlife and people. With their high pectin content, the berries are well-suited for making jams and jellies.

Often creeping among sphagnum moss, Small Cranberry thrives in cold, acidic, and nutrient-poor soils (pH 2.9–4.7), making it well adapted to northern wetland environments. With its woody stems, it is technically classified as a shrub and often described as a subshrub or dwarf shrub. It is also valuable for wetland restoration and naturalisation projects.

Note: We use Small Cranberry for Vaccinium oxycoccos. This species is also known by many other common names, including Bog Cranberry, Small Bog Cranberry, and others. Please confirm the scientific name to ensure you are ordering the correct plant.

Firecracker Goji Berry Quick Facts

Small Cranberry Quick Facts

Zone: 3a
Zone: 1b
Height: 1.5 m (5 ft)
Height: 0.1 m (0.2 ft)
Spread: 1.2 m (4 ft)
Spread: 0.5 m (1.5 ft)
Light: partial shade, full sun
Light: any
Moisture: normal
Moisture: wet
Growth rate: medium
Growth rate: fast
Life span: short
Life span: medium
Growth form: creeping, ground cover
Spreading: rhizomes - medium, layering - medium
Suckering: none
Maintenance: medium


Foliage: evergreen
Foliage: small, leathery, evergreen
Flowers: purple
Flowers: pink, nodding with reflexed petals
Bloom time: late spring to early summer
Fruit: edible
Berries: red
Berries: small red cranberries, edible
Flavor: sweet
Flavor: tart
Harvest: June - September
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, PE
Other Names: goji berry firecracker
Other Names: marshberry, small bog cranberry, swamp cranberry