# 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. - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 5 - **Habitat:** Tundra and cool forests ![black crowberry](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Empetrum_nigrum_12.jpg&width=800) Photo: B.gliwa, CC BY-SA 2.5 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Empetrum_nigrum_12.jpg) ## 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. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Magnoliopsida - **Order:** Ericales - **Family:** Ericaceae - **Genus:** Empetrum ## 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 - **Cold Conqueror:** Black crowberry can thrive in icy Arctic tundras and high mountains by having waxy, needle-like leaves that reduce water loss. - **Berry Bonanza:** Black crowberry has berries that often stay on the plant all winter, providing crucial food for animals when other sources are scarce. - **Mat Master:** 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](https://www.snappit.app/explore/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](https://www.snappit.app/explore/fieldfare) (*Turdus pilaris*) — disperses seeds after eating the dark berries ## Traits - [Cluster Flower](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/cluster-flower): Cluster flowers are inflorescences where individual flowers are arranged closely together on a common stem. - [Shrub](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/shrub): A shrub is a woody plant smaller than a tree, typically with multiple stems branching from or near the ground. - [Cold Hardy](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/cold-hardy): Cold hardy plants are able to withstand low temperatures and freezing conditions without significant damage. - [Fruit Bearing](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/fruit-bearing): Fruit-bearing plants produce fruits, which are the mature ovaries of flowering plants containing seeds. - [Fruit Tree](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/fruit-tree): A fruit tree is a perennial tree that produces fruit, which is edible to humans or animals. - [Edible](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/edible): Edible plants are those parts of a plant that are considered safe for human consumption. - [Tundra](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/tundra): This habitat trait refers to species inhabiting tundras, which are treeless biomes characterized by permafrost, cold temperatures, and low-growing vegetation. - [Forest](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/forest): Forest habitats are terrestrial environments dominated by dense tree cover, supporting a high diversity of plant and animal life. ## Collections - [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Always check with an adult before picking any berries to eat. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify black crowberry? Compare how the fruit is clustered, the leaves and their arrangement, the stems and any thorns. Red, blue and black fruits grow on lots of unrelated plants, and the same color can show up on both edible and poisonous species. Berry Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How tall is black crowberry? 10-30 cm ### How wide does black crowberry spread? 30-100 cm ### When does black crowberry bloom? Late spring to early summer ### Is black crowberry edible? Yes ### Is black crowberry toxic? None ### What is black crowberry's lifecycle? Perennial ### How is black crowberry pollinated? Wind ## Where to spot - [Carriage Paths, Bridges and Gatehouses](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/carriage-paths-bridges-and-gatehouses) — Maine, US · Historic District - [Great Wass Island Preserve](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/great-wass-island-preserve) — Maine, US · Nature Reserve - [Vorpommersche Boddenlandschaft National Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/vorpommersche-boddenlandschaft-national-park) — Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, DE · Park - [Naturpark Lüneburger Heide](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/luneburg-heath-nature-park) — Niedersachsen, DE · Park - [Parc national du Bic](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/parc-national-du-bic) — Québec, CA · National Park [View all places to see black crowberry](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/black-crowberry) ## More Plants - [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*) - [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*) - [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*) - [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*) --- Source: [Black Crowberry: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/black-crowberry)