black crowberry

Empetrum nigrum

The black crowberry is a small, tasty berry that grows on low bushes. It has shiny black berries that are loved by birds and other animals. These berries are often found in cool, northern places.

Habitat: Tundra and cool forests

Appearance

The black crowberry is a low-growing evergreen shrub with small, needle-like leaves arranged in whorls. It produces tiny, inconspicuous pinkish-purple flowers that develop into round, glossy, jet-black berries, making them stand out against the dark green foliage.

KingdomPlantaePhylumTracheophytaClassMagnoliopsidaOrderEricalesFamilyEricaceaeGenusEmpetrum

black crowberry

Interesting facts

Ancient peoples used crowberry juice to dye fabrics purple and black!

Its berries are super dark, almost black, and packed with health benefits!

This tough plant can live for over 100 years, slowly spreading its roots!

Unlike most plants, its tiny flowers don't need insects for pollination!

Special abilities

Black crowberry can thrive in icy Arctic tundras and high mountains by having waxy, needle-like leaves that reduce water loss.

Black crowberry has berries that often stay on the plant all winter, providing crucial food for animals when other sources are scarce.

Black crowberry can spread extensively, forming dense mats that protect soil from erosion and capture sparse nutrients.

Measurements & details

Height: 10-30 cm
Spread: 30-100 cm
Bloom Season: Late spring to early summer
Edible: Yes
Toxicity: None
Lifecycle: Perennial
Pollination Method: Wind

Ecological connections

eats

Brown Bear

Ursus arctos

berries are an important food source

eats

Willow Ptarmigan

Lagopus lagopus

relies on berries and foliage in winter

eats

Reindeer

Rangifer tarandus

forages on leaves and berries year-round

eats

Fieldfare

Turdus pilaris

disperses seeds after eating the dark berries

Traits

Cluster Flower

Cluster flowers are inflorescences where individual flowers are arranged closely together on a common stem.

Shrub

A shrub is a woody plant smaller than a tree, typically with multiple stems branching from or near the ground.

Cold Hardy

Cold hardy plants are able to withstand low temperatures and freezing conditions without significant damage.

Fruit Bearing

Fruit-bearing plants produce fruits, which are the mature ovaries of flowering plants containing seeds.

Fruit Tree

A fruit tree is a perennial tree that produces fruit, which is edible to humans or animals.

Edible

Edible plants are those parts of a plant that are considered safe for human consumption.

Tundra

This habitat trait refers to species inhabiting tundras, which are treeless biomes characterized by permafrost, cold temperatures, and low-growing vegetation.