Common Caragana vs Grouseberry - TreeTime.ca

Common Caragana vs Grouseberry

Caragana arborescens

Vaccinium scoparium

COMING SOON

(new stock expected: fall of 2025)

CUSTOM GROW

Common Caragana
Grouseberry

Common Caragana is a fast growing shrub that's known for its exceptional hardiness and drought tolerance. Although it's most commonly planted in shelterbelts, Common Caragana is also an excellent hedge or feature shrub.

Note: in warmer areas, this species can be difficult to contain once planted. Use the right plant in the right place.

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.

Common Caragana Quick Facts

Grouseberry Quick Facts

Zone: 1b
Zone: 2a
Height: 4 m (13 ft)
Height: 0.3 m (1.0 ft)
Spread: 1.5 m (5 ft)
Spread: 0.3 m (1.0 ft)
Light: partial shade, full sun
Light: shade, partial shade
Moisture: dry, normal
Moisture: normal
Growth rate: medium
Growth rate: slow
Life span: medium
Life span: medium
Growth form: low growing, colony-forming
Spreading: rhizomes - medium
Suckering: none
Maintenance: medium
Maintenance: medium


Fall colour: reddish
Flowers: yellow, in spring
Flowers: small pink, bell-shaped
Bloom time: spring
Fruit: pod like fruits
Berries: small, bright red, edible
Flavor: tart
Harvest: summer
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no

In row spacing: 0.3 m (1.0 ft)

Between row spacing: 5 m (16 ft)
Native to: AB, BC
Other Names: black karagana, caragana, pea tree, siberian pea shrub, yellow acacia
Other Names: dwarf red whortleberry, grouse whortleberry, little-leaved huckleberry, red alpine blueberry, small-leaved huckleberry