Small Cranberry vs Pinegrass - TreeTime.ca

Small Cranberry vs Pinegrass

Vaccinium oxycoccos

Calamagrostis rubescens

CUSTOM GROW

CUSTOM GROW

Small Cranberry
Pinegrass

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.

Pinegrass is a hardy, native perennial grass common in forested regions of western North America. It is an important understory species and is typically found beneath conifer canopies. Due to its spreading nature and ability to form dense mats that cover the forest floor, it helps stabilize soils and reduce erosion.

It provides forage for wildlife and livestock, shelter for small animals, and seeds for birds, playing an important ecological role in woodland ecosystems. Pinegrass is well-suited for ecological restoration, soil stabilization, and naturalization projects.

Small Cranberry Quick Facts

Pinegrass Quick Facts

Zone: 1b
Zone: 4a
Height: 0.1 m (0.2 ft)
Height: 0.8 m (2.5 ft)
Spread: 0.5 m (1.5 ft)
Spread: 0.5 m (1.5 ft)
Light: any
Light: any
Moisture: wet
Moisture: dry, normal
Growth rate: fast
Growth rate: medium
Life span: medium
Life span: short
Growth form: creeping, ground cover
Growth form: upright, clump-forming
Spreading: rhizomes - medium, layering - medium
Spreading: rhizomes - medium, seeds - low


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, MB
Other Names: marshberry, small bog cranberry, swamp cranberry
Other Names: pine reedgrass