Firecracker Goji Berry vs Bilberry - TreeTime.ca

Firecracker Goji Berry vs Bilberry

Lycium barbarum Firecracker

Vaccinium myrtillus

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

Firecracker Goji Berry
Bilberry

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.

American Black Currant is a native deciduous shrub known for its clusters of small black berries that ripen in mid-to-late summer. The berries are edible and have long been used for fresh eating, preserves, and baking. They provide food for birds and mammals, and their fragrant spring flowers attract bees and other pollinators.

American Black Currant’s foliage serves as a host plant for butterfly species such as the Green Comma and Gray Comma, and its dense branching offers cover for wildlife. The shrub has traditionally been planted in shelterbelts, riparian buffers, and restoration projects.

Firecracker Goji Berry Quick Facts

Bilberry Quick Facts

Zone: 3a
Zone: 3a
Height: 1.5 m (5 ft)
Height: 0.3 m (1.0 ft)
Spread: 1.2 m (4 ft)
Spread: 0.5 m (1.5 ft)
Light: partial shade, full sun
Light: partial shade, full sun
Moisture: normal
Moisture: normal
Growth rate: medium
Growth rate: slow
Life span: short
Life span: medium
Growth form: low growing, clump-forming
Spreading: rhizomes - medium, seeds - medium
Suckering: none
Maintenance: medium


Toxicity: leaves may be unsafe in high doses
Foliage: evergreen
Flowers: purple
Flowers: white or pink, bell-shaped
Bloom time: summer
Fruit: edible
Berries: red
Berries: round bluish-purple berries, edible
Flavor: sweet
Flavor: sweet
Harvest: June - September
Harvest: late summer to early fall
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no


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