Firecracker Goji Berry vs Bilberry - TreeTime.ca

Firecracker Goji Berry vs Bilberry

Vaccinium myrtillus

Lycium barbarum Firecracker

CUSTOM GROW

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

Bilberry
Firecracker Goji Berry

Bilberry is a native perennial shrub valued for its small, blue-black berries that ripen in mid to late summer. The berries resemble blueberries but have a richer, more tart, and intense flavor. They have long been used for fresh eating, baking, and preserves, while also providing food for birds and mammals. In spring, its delicate pinkish flowers attract bees and other pollinators.

Growing low to the ground, Bilberry forms spreading colonies that create dense understory cover. This growth habit provides food and shelter for wildlife, and its foliage adds seasonal interest by turning red to purple in autumn. With its adaptability and ecological benefits, Bilberry is well-suited for naturalization, ecological restoration, and pollinator gardens.

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.

Bilberry Quick Facts

Firecracker Goji Berry Quick Facts

Zone: 3a
Zone: 3a
Height: 0.3 m (1.0 ft)
Height: 1.5 m (5 ft)
Spread: 0.5 m (1.5 ft)
Spread: 1.2 m (4 ft)
Light: partial shade, full sun
Light: partial shade, full sun
Moisture: normal
Moisture: normal
Growth rate: slow
Growth rate: medium
Life span: medium
Life span: short
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: white or pink, bell-shaped
Flowers: purple
Bloom time: summer
Fruit: edible
Berries: round bluish-purple berries, edible
Berries: red
Flavor: sweet
Flavor: sweet
Harvest: late summer to early fall
Harvest: June - September
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no


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