SafePlants

Crowberry (Empetrum nigrum)

Empetrum nigrum, commonly known as crowberry or black crowberry, is a flowering plant species belonging to the heather family.

Considerations for Pets

• The plant is a low-growing shrub and could be accessible to pets.
• The plant produces berries that transition in color, which might be attractive to pets.

Considerations for Children

• The plant produces berries that transition in color, which might be attractive to children.

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 Empetraceae (Crowberry Family)
• Subspecies: Empetrum nigrum ssp. hermaphroditum
• Synonyms: Empetrum eamesii ssp. hermaphroditum, Empetrum hermaphroditum, Empetrum eamesii

Distribution and Habitat

• Native to most northern areas of the northern hemisphere.
• Found in colder climates including Alaska, Yukon Territory, Canada (to Labrador, Newfoundland), Greenland.
• Grows on dry, open sites such as dunes, exposed rocks, bogs, cold forested wetlands, and alpine zones.
• Specific locations mentioned include the Gulf of St. Lawrence, Quebec's far north, and New Brunswick (Welsh Cove, Maces Bay).

Morphological Characteristics

• Dwarf evergreen shrub with a creeping habit.
• Small, rather inconspicuous, purplish-brown flowers occur in leaf axils.
• Fruits are showy, purplish-black, round berries. They start green, progress through pink and purple before turning black.
• Leaves have small glands; glandular hairs can be found on the twigs.

Ecological Role

• Crowberry produces a toxin, potentially to inhibit the growth of other species.
• Found in open coniferous woodlands characterized by jack pine canopy dominance and thin acidic soils, along with reindeer lichen.

Traditional Uses

• Siberian black crowberry has been used in the North as a multi-vitamin treatment since ancient times.

Quirky Facts

• In Newfoundland, crowberry is sometimes referred to as "blackberry" due to its similar appearance to a black partridgeberry or blueberry.
• The text describes crowberries completely covering a large boulder, "wrapping around it like a green and black sweater".

Further Information

• Wildflowers Count survey
• Michigan Natural Features Inventory
• USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database
• Dave's Garden
• Wikimedia Commons