Falsebox vs Grouseberry - TreeTime.ca

Falsebox vs Grouseberry

Paxistima myrsinites

Vaccinium scoparium

CUSTOM GROW

CUSTOM GROW

Falsebox
Grouseberry

Falsebox is a hardy, native evergreen shrub found in forests, rocky slopes, and open woodland sites. Though small and easily overlooked among the leaves, the maroon flowers still supply nectar and pollen for pollinators such as native bees and flies. Blooming in spring, they provide an important early-season food source. Its year-round greenery adds visual interest through the winter.

Falsebox is a low-growing shrub that tolerates a wide range of conditions, including drought once established. It thrives particularly well beneath the shade of mature trees, where few other plants succeed. With its resilience and ecological value, Falsebox is well-suited for naturalization, restoration projects, and diverse landscape plantings.

Grouseberry is a native, low-growing deciduous shrub known for its edible red berries. In early summer, it produces small, urn-shaped flowers ranging from white to pink that attract bees and other pollinators. The berries provide an important food source for many types of wildlife, including game birds such as grouse, which gives the plant its common name. People can also enjoy the berries fresh or in baked goods, though they can be difficult to harvest in large quantities.

Spreading by rhizomes, Grouseberry forms dense, broom-like mats that help stabilize soil and prevent erosion, while also providing cover for ground-nesting wildlife. It is commonly found beneath conifers in open forests, subalpine meadows, and occasionally on rocky slopes in mountainous regions. It is well-suited for naturalization, ecological restoration, and soil stabilization projects.

Falsebox Quick Facts

Grouseberry Quick Facts

Zone: 5a
Zone: 2a
Height: 0.5 m (1.5 ft)
Height: 0.3 m (1.0 ft)
Spread: 0.5 m (1.5 ft)
Spread: 0.3 m (1.0 ft)
Light: any
Light: shade, partial shade
Moisture: dry, normal
Moisture: normal
Growth rate: slow
Growth rate: slow
Life span: medium
Life span: medium
Growth form: prostrate to spreading
Growth form: low growing, colony-forming
Spreading: layering - medium
Spreading: rhizomes - medium
Maintenance: medium


Foliage: evergreen, leathery leaves
Fall colour: reddish
Bark: reddish-brown
Flowers: small, maroon-purple, fragrant
Flowers: small pink, bell-shaped
Bloom time: summer
Bloom time: spring
Berries: small, bright red, edible
Flavor: tart
Harvest: summer
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no


Native to: AB, BC
Native to: AB, BC
Other Names: false box, mountain boxwood, mountain lover, myrtle boxwood, oregon boxleaf, oregon boxwood
Other Names: dwarf red whortleberry, grouse whortleberry, little-leaved huckleberry, red alpine blueberry, small-leaved huckleberry