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. The scientific name of the plant comes from the combination of the Greek for “upon a rock” (en = upon + petros = rock) and the Latin for black (niger).[4] North American Indigenous names for this species include asiavik (Inupiaq)[5], dineech'úh (Gwich'in)[6], paurngaq (Inuktut)[7], xéel'i (Tlingít)[8], xa skáawaa (Haida)[9] and ts'nełt'ida (Dena’ina)[10].

Description

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Empetrum nigrum is a low growing, evergreen shrub with a creeping habit.[11] 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; they grow slowly, around 7 – 15 cm (3 – 6 inches) per year[12][13]. This plant can form thick, clonal mats than prevent other plants from overgrowing it.[12]

Empetrum nigrum is usually dioecious, though a few individuals are bisexual and have perfect flowers[14]. Because this species is highly clonal, an entire patch may be of a single sex. Empetrum nigrum flower buds start to develop the summer before they open[13], blooming the following year between May and June.[15] The flowers are small (3 – 6 mm), have little or no scent and are not very noticeable,[11] Flowers consist of 3 greenish-pink sepals that turn reddish purple[16], 3 petals, 3 stamens (males) or a pistil with an ovary that contains 6 – 9 ovules (females).[17]

The round fruits are drupes, 4–6 mm (1⁄8–1⁄4 in) wide, usually black or purplish-black but occasionally red[18] and contain an average of 7.8 seeds per fruit. The fruits are well-protected against pathogens[19] and as a result can persist throughout the winter.[20] 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.[21]

Subspecies

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Distribution and habitat

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The species has a near circumboreal distribution in the Northern Hemisphere.[24]

Empetrum nigrum grows in bogs[25] and other acidic soils in shady, moist areas; it also grows in subalpine and alpine habitats in the Pacific Northwest. It can grow in soils with a pH as low as 2.5, but it does not grow in basic soils (pH > 8).[26]

Ecology

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Empetrum nigrum flowers are likely pollinated by a combination of generalist insects (e.g., flies, beetles) and wind.[4][12] Animals that regularly consume this species and act as seed dispersers include rodents,[27] foxes, bears,[28] caribou[29] and many bird species.[30] Because it retains its fruit throughout the winter and into the spring, it is an important food for species such as red-backed voles at a time of year when few other foods are available.[20]

The moth species Glacies coracina, Zygaena exulans, and Hadula melanopa feed on the plant.[15]

The metabolism and photosynthetic parameters of Empetrum can be altered in winter-warming experiments.[31]

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.[32]

Empetrum nigrum roots host ericoid mycorrhizal species (ascomycetes and basidiomycetes), which increase access to nitrogen and phosphorus.[33]

Uses

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The fruit is edible and can be dried,[34] 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.[25]

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.[25] 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.[35] In Labrador and northern regions of Newfoundland, entire plants are harvested and the sods used to impart flavour to smoked fish.[36]

The species can also be grown as a ground cover,[37] 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.[37]

In culture

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The Scottish Highlands Clan Maclean's badge is believed to be E. nigrum.[38]

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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 Lorion, Janick; Small, Ernest (2021-09-01). "Crowberry (Empetrum): A Chief Arctic Traditional Indigenous Fruit in Need of Economic and Ecological Management". The Botanical Review. 87 (3): 259–310. Bibcode:2021BotRv..87..259L. doi:10.1007/s12229-021-09248-0. ISSN 1874-9372.
  5. ^ "Iñupiaq Online". inupiaqonline.com. Retrieved 2025-11-29.
  6. ^ Gwich ’in Social and Cultural Institute. Gwich’in Topical Dictionary: Gwichyah Gwich’in & Teetl’it Gwich’in Dialects. (2009).
  7. ^ "English Content Search | Inuit Uqausinginnik Taiguusiliuqtiit". www.taiguusiliuqtiit.ca. Retrieved 2025-11-29.
  8. ^ Edwards, Keri (2009). Dictionary of Tlingit. Juneau, Alaska, U.S.A.: Sealaska Heritage Institute. ISBN 978-0-9825786-6-7.
  9. ^ Lachler, Jordan (2010). Dictionary of Alaska Haida. Juneau, Alaska, U.S.A.: Sealaska Heritage Institute. ISBN 978-0-9825786-5-0.
  10. ^ Kari, James (1974). Kenai Tanaina Noun Dictionary. Alaska Native Language Center, University of Alaska Fairbanks.
  11. ^ 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.
  12. ^ a b c Tybirk, Knud; Nilsson, Marie-Charlotte; Michelsen, Anders; Kristensen, Hanne Lakkenborg; Shevtsova, Anna; Tune Strandberg, Morten; Johansson, Marianne; Nielsen, Knud Erik; Riis-Nielsen, Torben; Strandberg, Beate; Johnsen, Ib (March 2000). "Nordic Empetrum Dominated Ecosystems: Function and Susceptibility to Environmental Changes". AMBIO: A Journal of the Human Environment. 29 (2): 90–97. Bibcode:2000Ambio..29...90T. doi:10.1579/0044-7447-29.2.90. ISSN 0044-7447.
  13. ^ a b Bell, J. N. B.; Tallis, J. H. (1973). "Empetrum Nigrum L.". Journal of Ecology. 61 (1): 289–305. Bibcode:1973JEcol..61..289B. doi:10.2307/2258934. ISSN 0022-0477. JSTOR 2258934.
  14. ^ Wang, Lin-Lin; Zhang, Zhi-Qiang; Yang, Yong-Ping; Duan, Yuan-Wen (2019-10-01). "The coexistence of hermaphroditic and dioecious plants is associated with polyploidy and gender dimorphism in Dasiphora fruticosa". Plant Diversity. 41 (5): 323–329. Bibcode:2019PlDiv..41..323W. doi:10.1016/j.pld.2019.06.002. ISSN 2468-2659. PMC 6951273. PMID 31934677.
  15. ^ 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.
  16. ^ "Empetrum nigrum in Flora of North America". efloras.org. Retrieved 2020-12-30.
  17. ^ Viereck, Leslie A.; Little, Elbert L. (2007). Alaska trees and shrubs (2nd ed.). Fairbanks, AK: Snowy Owl Books. ISBN 978-1-889963-86-0.
  18. ^ "Jepson eFlora: Empetrum nigrum". University and Jepson Herbaria. University of California, Berkeley. Retrieved 15 May 2017.
  19. ^ Jurikova, Tunde; Mlcek, Jiri; Skrovankova, Sona; Balla, Stefan; Sochor, Jiri; Baron, Mojmir; Sumczynski, Daniela (2016-12-07). "Black Crowberry (Empetrum nigrum L.) Flavonoids and Their Health Promoting Activity". Molecules. 21 (12): 1685. doi:10.3390/molecules21121685. ISSN 1420-3049. PMC 6272966. PMID 27941619.
  20. ^ a b Mulder, Christa P. H.; Spellman, Katie V.; Shaw, Jasmine (2021-12-23). "Berries in Winter: A Natural History of Fruit Retention in Four Species Across Alaska". Madroño. 68 (4). doi:10.3120/0024-9637-68.4.487. ISSN 0024-9637.
  21. ^ Ehrlén & Eriksson 1991.
  22. ^ 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.
  23. ^ "Empetrum subholarcticum V.N.Vassil". www.worldfloraonline.org. Retrieved 15 February 2021.
  24. ^ "Empetrum nigrum L." powo.science.kew.org. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 2025-09-30.
  25. ^ a b c Francis-Baker, Tiffany (2021). Concise Foraging Guide. The Wildlife Trusts. London: Bloomsbury. p. 31. ISBN 978-1-4729-8474-6.
  26. ^ Good, R. D'O. (June 1927). "The Genus Empetrum L.". Journal of the Linnean Society of London, Botany. 47 (317): 489–523. doi:10.1111/j.1095-8339.1927.tb00520.x.
  27. ^ Krebs, Charles J.; Cowcill, Kevan; Boonstra, Rudy; Kenney, Alice J. (2010-04-16). "Do changes in berry crops drive population fluctuations in small rodents in the southwestern Yukon?". Journal of Mammalogy. 91 (2): 500–509. Bibcode:2010JMamm..91..500K. doi:10.1644/09-MAMM-A-005.1. ISSN 0022-2372.
  28. ^ McHutchon, A.G.; Wellwood, D.W. (2003). "Grizzly bear food habits in the northern Yukon, Canada". Ursus. 14: 225–235.
  29. ^ Denryter, Kristin A.; Cook, Rachel C.; Cook, John G.; Parker, Katherine L. (February 2017). "Straight from the caribou's (Rangifer tarandus) mouth: detailed observations of tame caribou reveal new insights into summer–autumn diets". Canadian Journal of Zoology. 95 (2): 81–94. Bibcode:2017CaJZ...95...81D. doi:10.1139/cjz-2016-0114. hdl:1807/75601. ISSN 0008-4301.
  30. ^ Nechaev, V. A.; Nechaev, A. A. (2012-02-01). "Wild berry plants and carpophagous birds in the taiga zone of the southern Russian Far East". Contemporary Problems of Ecology. 5 (1): 71–78. Bibcode:2012CPrEc...5...71N. doi:10.1134/S1995425512010092. ISSN 1995-4263.
  31. ^ 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.
  32. ^ 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". Authorea.
  33. ^ Bell, J. N. B.; Tallis, J. H. (1973). "Empetrum Nigrum L.". Journal of Ecology. 61 (1): 289–305. Bibcode:1973JEcol..61..289B. doi:10.2307/2258934. ISSN 0022-0477. JSTOR 2258934.
  34. ^ 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.
  35. ^ Sulley, Erin (2021-08-26). "A Newfoundland and Labrador take on 'blackberry' pudding". PNI Atlantic News. Retrieved 16 July 2025.
  36. ^ "Where to Find Fresh Fish - Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada". Where to find fresh fish. Retrieved 16 July 2025.
  37. ^ a b "Empetrum nigrum - L." Plants for a Future. Retrieved 15 May 2017.
  38. ^ Adam; Innes of Learney (1970), pp. 541–543.

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