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black crowberry

Scientific Name: Empetrum nigrum

Family: Empetraceae

Category: Dicot

Growth: Subshrub, Shrub

Duration: Perennial

Other Names: MI (black crowberry), MN (black crowberry)

       

Crowberry (Empetrum nigrum)

Empetrum nigrum, commonly known as crowberry or black crowberry, is a flowering plant species belonging to the heather family, Ericaceae. In western Alaska, it's sometimes referred to as blackberry.

Considerations for Pets

  • The text mentions the presence of glandular hairs on the twigs.
  • The plant produces berries that progress through different colors (green, pink, purple, black) as they ripen, which might be tempting to animals.
  • The plant produces a toxin to fight other species.

Considerations for Children

  • The text mentions the presence of glandular hairs on the twigs.
  • The plant produces berries that progress through different colors (green, pink, purple, black) as they ripen, which might be tempting to children.
  • The plant produces a toxin to fight other species.

Taxonomy and Nomenclature

  • Scientific Name: Empetrum nigrum
  • Common Names: Crowberry, black crowberry, blackberry (in western Alaska), crakeberry, crowpea, mossberry, curlew berry
  • Family: Ericaceae (Heather Family, formerly Crowberry Family – Empetraceae)
  • Subspecies: Empetrum nigrum ssp. hermaphroditum (tetraploid)
  • Synonyms: Empetrum eamesii ssp. hermaphroditum, Empetrum hermaphroditum, Empetrum eamesii

Distribution and Habitat

Empetrum nigrum is native to most northern areas of the northern hemisphere. It grows in colder climates including Alaska, across the Yukon Territory and Canada to Labrador, Newfoundland, and Greenland. It is also found around the Gulf of St. Lawrence and into Quebec's far north. It is typically found in bogs, cold forested wetlands, alpine zones, on dry, open sites, including dunes, exposed rocks.

Morphological Characteristics

  • Empetrum is a small genus of dwarf evergreen shrubs.
  • The fruits are black round berries.
  • Crowberry leaves have small glands.
  • Look for glandular hairs on the twigs.
  • Small, rather inconspicuous, purplish-brown flowers occur in leaf axils and are followed by showy, purplish-black fruits.

Ecological Role

  • Crowberry is reported to produce a toxin that inhibits the growth of other plant species.

Interactions with Other Organisms

  • The text mentions the plant is "fighting other species by producing a toxin."
  • It grows in association with reindeer lichen.

Quirky Facts

  • In Newfoundland, crowberry is sometimes referred to as blackberry.
  • The berries start green, then turn pink and purple before finally becoming black.

Further Information

  • Michigan Natural Features Inventory, P.O. Box 30444 - Lansing, MI 48909-7944. Phone: 517-373-1552
  • USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database
  • Dave's Garden
  • Wikimedia Commons