SafePlants

No images found for this plant ID: 12056.

Ensure images are uploaded to the Media Library and tagged with "12056" in the "plant_image_tag" taxonomy.

Safe for Children?

✅ Safe: 0
❓ Neutral: 0
❌ Unsafe: 0

Safe for Dogs?

✅ Safe: 0
❓ Neutral: 0
❌ Unsafe: 0

Safe for Cats?

✅ Safe: 0
❓ Neutral: 0
❌ Unsafe: 0

Safe for Reptiles?

✅ Safe: 0
❓ Neutral: 0
❌ Unsafe: 0

western cordilleran bunchberry

Scientific Name: Cornus unalaschkensis

Family: Cornaceae

Category: Dicot

Growth: Subshrub, Shrub

Duration: Perennial

Other Names:

       

Bunchberry (Cornus canadensis and Cornus unalaschkensis)

Bunchberry refers to several low-growing, herbaceous plants commonly found in North American forests. It is known by several common names, including Canada bunchberry, dwarf dogwood, crackerberry, and dwarf cornel.

Considerations for Pets

  • The text mentions bunchberry being eaten, but does not state whether this refers to human consumption.
  • The term "crackerberry" is a common name.

Considerations for Children

  • The plant is known as "crackerberry".

Taxonomy and Nomenclature

  • Scientific Names: Cornus canadensis and Cornus unalaschkensis. Cornus unalaschkensis was previously included in Cornus canadensis.
  • Common Names: Bunchberry, Canada bunchberry, dwarf dogwood, crackerberry, dwarf cornel.

Distribution and Habitat

  • Bunchberry is found in the Cordilleran region of western North America, extending southward to California and Wyoming.
  • It grows in various ecoregions, including Lower and Upper Boreal Cordillera and Subalpine areas.
  • It thrives in sites ranging from wet to dry and poor to rich soils, specifically in west-central Alberta.
  • It is found as far west as Labrador.

Ecological Role

  • Bunchberry can dominate upland sites in certain regions.
  • It is associated with specific plant communities, such as western hemlock-Sitka spruce/lanky moss forests.

Morphological Characteristics

  • Bunchberry is described as a small herb.
  • It is frequently found with other plants such as twinflowers.

Quirky Facts

  • The flower of the bunchberry dogwood has the fastest pollen gun in the West, or possibly the world.

Interactions with Other Organisms

  • Bunchberry is often found in association with other plant species such as wild sarsaparilla, shield fern, goldenrod, water lilies, and cattails.
  • It is also associated with five-leaved bramble.