Small Cranberry vs Bluebunch Wheatgrass - TreeTime.ca

Small Cranberry vs Bluebunch Wheatgrass

Vaccinium oxycoccos

Pseudoroegneria spicata

CUSTOM GROW

CUSTOM GROW

Small Cranberry
Bluebunch Wheatgrass

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.

Bluebunch Wheatgrass is a native perennial bunchgrass common across prairies, foothills, and open woodlands. It has a long life span, unlike many other grasses.
This grass competes well with invasive species, has extensive root systems and is drought tolerant. It provides forage for deer, elk, bighorn sheep, and is extremely palatable by livestock. Its seeds are eaten by birds and small mammals, while its dense clumps offer nesting and shelter.

Small Cranberry Quick Facts

Bluebunch Wheatgrass Quick Facts

Zone: 1b
Zone: 3a
Height: 0.1 m (0.2 ft)
Height: 0.6 m (2.0 ft)
Spread: 0.5 m (1.5 ft)
Spread: 0.5 m (1.5 ft)
Light: any
Light: partial shade, full sun
Moisture: wet
Moisture: dry, normal
Growth rate: fast
Growth rate: fast
Life span: medium
Life span: short
Growth form: creeping, ground cover
Growth form: upright, clump-forming
Spreading: rhizomes - medium, layering - medium
Spreading: tillering - high, seeds - medium


Foliage: small, leathery, evergreen
Flowers: pink, nodding with reflexed petals
Bloom time: late spring to early summer
Berries: small red cranberries, edible
Flavor: tart
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
Native to: AB, BC, SK, YT
Other Names: marshberry, small bog cranberry, swamp cranberry