Small Cranberry vs Twinflower - TreeTime.ca

Small Cranberry vs Twinflower

Vaccinium oxycoccos

Linnaea borealis

CUSTOM GROW

CUSTOM GROW

Small Cranberry
Twinflower

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.

Twinflower is a native, trailing evergreen ground cover known for its delicate flowers that grow in nodding pairs. These pale pink blooms are described as being sweetly fragrant, attracting native bees and other pollinators.
Growing in cool, moist, acidic soils, the trailing stems form roots as they spread and start to form mats across the forest floor. Due to its woody stem, it is technically classified as a shrub and often referred to as a subshrub or dwarf shrub. This species is well-suited for naturalization, restoration, and conservation projects.
Twinflower (Linneae borealis) was named in honour of Carl Linnaeus, who adopted it as his personal emblem.

Small Cranberry Quick Facts

Twinflower Quick Facts

Zone: 1b
Zone: 2a
Height: 0.1 m (0.2 ft)
Height: 0.1 m (0.4 ft)
Spread: 0.5 m (1.5 ft)
Spread: 0.9 m (3 ft)
Light: any
Light: any
Moisture: wet
Moisture: normal, wet
Growth rate: fast
Growth rate: slow
Life span: medium
Life span: short
Growth form: creeping, ground cover
Growth form: creeping or trailing, ground cover
Spreading: rhizomes - medium, layering - medium
Spreading: stolons - medium, seeds - low


Foliage: small, leathery, evergreen
Fall colour: reddish tinge
Flowers: pink, nodding with reflexed petals
Flowers: Pink, bell-shaped, fragrant pairs
Bloom time: late spring to early summer
Bloom time: 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, MB, ON, QC, NS, NB, NL, YT, NT, NU, PE
Other Names: marshberry, small bog cranberry, swamp cranberry
Other Names: northern twinflower, pink bells