Black Crowberry (Empetrum nigrum)

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For other shrubs sometimes called "crowberry", see Bearberry.

Black crowberry
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Ericales
Family: Ericaceae
Genus: Empetrum
Species:
E. nigrum
Binomial name
Empetrum nigrum
Synonyms[2]
  • Chamaetaxus nigra (L.) Bubani
  • Empetrum arcticum V.N.Vassil.
  • Empetrum crassifolium Raf.
  • Empetrum eamesii subsp. hermaphroditum (Hagerup) D.Löve
  • Empetrum hermaphroditum Hagerup
  • Empetrum hermaphroditum var. americanum V.N.Vassil.
  • Empetrum medium Carmich.
  • Empetrum nigrum f. cylindricum Lepage
  • Empetrum nigrum var. hermaphroditum (Hagerup) T.Sørensen
  • Empetrum nigrum subsp. hermaphroditum (Hagerup) Böcher
  • Empetrum nigrum f. purpureum (Raf.) Fernald
  • Empetrum nigrum var. purpureum (Raf.) A.DC.
  • Empetrum purpureum Raf.

Empetrum nigrum, the crowberry,[3] black crowberry, mossberry, rockberry, or, in western Alaska, Labrador, etc., blackberry, is a flowering plant species in the heather family Ericaceae with a near circumboreal distribution in the Northern Hemisphere.

Description

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Empetrum nigrum is a low growing, evergreen shrub with a creeping habit.[4] The leaves are 3–6 millimetres (1⁄8–1⁄4 inch) long, arranged alternately along the stem. The stems are red when young and then fade to brown. It blooms between May and June.[5]

It is usually dioecious. The flowers are small and not very noticeable,[4] with greenish-pink sepals that turn reddish purple.[6] The round fruits are drupes, 4–6 mm (1⁄8–1⁄4 in) wide, usually black or purplish-black but occasionally red.[7] Its fruit persists for an average of 92.7 days, and bears an average of 7.8 seeds per fruit. Fruits average 86.5% water, and their dry weight includes 14.4% carbohydrates and 12.2% lipids, which is possibly the highest lipid content of any fleshy fruit in Europe.[8]

Subspecies

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Distribution and habitat

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The species has a near circumboreal distribution in the Northern Hemisphere.[11]

Empetrum nigrum grows in bogs[12] and other acidic soils in shady, moist areas; it also grows in subalpine and alpine habitats in the Pacific Northwest.

Ecology

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The moth species Glacies coracina, Zygaena exulans, and Hadula melanopa feed on the plant.[5]

The metabolism and photosynthetic parameters of Empetrum can be altered in winter-warming experiments.[13]

Empetrum nigrum has allelopathic properties (e.g. hampering seed germination and root extension of other plants) but the strength of these are dependent on the soil type.[14]

Uses

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The fruit is edible and can be dried,[15] and may have an acidic taste. In the Alaskan tundra, it is known to have a sweet and slightly tart flavor. It is often mixed with other berries in dishes like pies and puddings.[12]

It is abundant in Scandinavia and treasured for its ability to make liqueur, wine, juice, or jelly. In subarctic areas, the plant has been a vital addition to the diet of the Inuit and the Sami.[citation needed] It is used to make Alaskan ice cream.[12] The Dena'ina (Tanaina) harvest it for food, sometimes storing in quantity for winter, sometimes mixed with lard or oil.[citation needed]

In the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador, the berries (known locally as “blackberries”) are used in jams, jellies, and baked goods, such as buns, or puddings.[16] In Labrador and northern regions of Newfoundland, entire plants are harvested and the sods used to impart flavour to smoked fish.[17]

The species can also be grown as a ground cover,[18] or as an ornamental plant in rock gardens, notably the yellow-foliaged cultivar 'Lucia'. The fruit is high in anthocyanin pigment and can be used to make a natural dye.[18]

In culture

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The Scottish Highlands Clan Maclean's badge is believed to be E. nigrum.[19]

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References

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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Empetrum nigrum.
  1. ^ Sp. Pl. 2: 1022. 1753 [1 May 1753] "Plant Name Details for Empetrum nigrum". IPNI. Retrieved 1 December 2009.
  2. ^ "Empetrum nigrum L." Plants of the World Online. Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. 2017. Retrieved 11 July 2020.
  3. ^ Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Crowberry" . Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 7 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 513.
  4. ^ a b Barbara Coffin; Lee Pfannmuller (1988). Minnesota's Endangered Flora and Fauna. U of Minnesota Press. p. 96. ISBN 978-0-8166-1689-3.
  5. ^ a b Reader's Digest Field Guide to the Wild Flowers of Britain. Reader's Digest. 1981. p. 220. ISBN 978-0-276-00217-5.
  6. ^ "Empetrum nigrum in Flora of North America @ efloras.org". www.efloras.org. Retrieved 2020-12-30.
  7. ^ "Jepson eFlora: Empetrum nigrum". University and Jepson Herbaria. University of California, Berkeley. Retrieved 15 May 2017.
  8. ^ Ehrlén & Eriksson 1991.
  9. ^ English Names for Korean Native Plants (PDF). Pocheon: Korea National Arboretum. 2015. p. 456. ISBN 978-89-97450-98-5. Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 May 2017. Retrieved 24 December 2016 – via Korea Forest Service.
  10. ^ "Empetrum subholarcticum V.N.Vassil". www.worldfloraonline.org. Retrieved 15 February 2021.
  11. ^ "Empetrum nigrum L." powo.science.kew.org. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 2025-09-30.
  12. ^ a b c Francis-Baker, Tiffany (2021). Concise Foraging Guide. The Wildlife Trusts. London: Bloomsbury. p. 31. ISBN 978-1-4729-8474-6.
  13. ^ Bokhorst, S; Bjerke, JW; Davey, MP; Taulavuori, K; Taulavuori, E; Laine, K; Callaghan, TV; Phoenix, GK (2010). "Impacts of extreme winter warming events on plant physiology in a sub-Arctic heath community". Physiologia Plantarum. 140 (2): 128–140. Bibcode:2010PPlan.140..128B. doi:10.1111/j.1399-3054.2010.01386.x. PMID 20497369.
  14. ^ Ryde, Ingvild; Kristinsdóttir, Jóhanna; Halmová, Marika; Baussay, Augustin; Bråthen, Kari Anne; Neilson, Elizabeth; Jónsdóttir, Ingibjörg. "Volcanic soils alleviate the allelopathic capacity of Empetrum nigrum in degraded tundra ecosystems". {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  15. ^ United States Department of the Army (2009). The Complete Guide to Edible Wild Plants. New York: Skyhorse Publishing. p. 47. ISBN 978-1-60239-692-0. OCLC 277203364.
  16. ^ Sulley, Erin (2021-08-26). "A Newfoundland and Labrador take on 'blackberry' pudding". PNI Atlantic News. Retrieved 16 July 2025.
  17. ^ "Where to Find Fresh Fish - Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada". Where to find fresh fish. Retrieved 16 July 2025.
  18. ^ a b "Empetrum nigrum - L." Plants for a Future. Retrieved 15 May 2017.
  19. ^ Adam; Innes of Learney (1970), pp. 541–543.

Bibliography

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