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Black Crowberry

Black Crowberry

Empetrum nigrum

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How common: Very common

Black Crowberry is a low, evergreen shrub of northern regions. It forms mats on dry heaths, rocky ground, sandy places, bogs and in mountain areas. The tiny dark pink spring flowers are easy to miss, but the round, shiny black berries stand out later.

Did you know?

  • Its evergreen leaves stay on the plant for 3–4 years.
  • People have traditionally used its wiry twigs to make brooms.

About the species

Identification

Low, evergreen shrub 10–30 cm tall, forming mats. Stems creep along the ground and then rise; brownish. Leaves are short and stiff, like tiny needles (3–7 mm), set in rings of three or four around the stem. Each leaf has edges rolled under and a narrow pale line on the underside. Flowers in spring are very small, dark pink to red, in the leaf joints. Later it carries round, shiny black berries. Unlike bearberry with red berries and broad leaves, Black Crowberry has needle-like leaves and black fruit; bilberries have wider soft leaves and blue berries. Flowers in Finland in May–June.

Plant group

Dwarf shrubs

Habitat

heath forest, shore, fell

Flowering

Apr–Jun

About the habitat

Grows on dry heaths, sandy soils, rocky outcrops, bogs and peatlands, and windswept uplands across the northern hemisphere. Very common across Finland; the southern subspecies (subsp. nigrum) is common in the south, and the northern subspecies (subsp. hermaphroditum) in the north.

Sources

Photo: no rights reserved, CC0 https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Alpine Crowberry imported from iNaturalist photo 307825206 on 31 December 2023.jpg

Text: Pinkka: Kasvien talvi - Koululaisille: talvivihreät kasvit, CC BY 4.0 https://laji.fi/taxon/MX.38646

Text: Pinkka: Yläkoulun Pinkka - Kuiva kangasmetsä, CC BY 4.0 https://laji.fi/taxon/MX.38646

Text: Pinkka: Suomen puuvartiset - Koppisiemeniset. Lähteet: Väre, H., Saarinen, J., Kurtto, A. & Hämet-Ahti, L. (toim.) 2021: Suomen puu- ja pensaskasvio. 3. täysin uudistettu p. – Publications of the Finnish Dendrological Society 10: 1–552 s., CC BY 4.0 https://laji.fi/taxon/MX.38646

Text: Pinkka: BIO-503 Suomen kasvisto ja kasvillisuus - Metsät: tuoreet kankaat, CC BY 4.0 https://laji.fi/taxon/MX.38646

Text: Pinkka: BIO-503 Suomen kasvisto ja kasvillisuus - Itämeri: karut rannikkometsät, CC BY 4.0 https://laji.fi/taxon/MX.38646

Text: Pinkka: Kasvien talvi - Talvivihreät luonnonkasvit, CC BY 4.0 https://laji.fi/taxon/MX.38646

Text: Wikipedia (Finnish), CC BY-SA 4.0 https://fi.wikipedia.org/wiki/Variksenmarja

See also