Empetrum rubrum
Family: Empetraceae
What it is like
Empetrum rubrum is an evergreen Shrub growing to 0.3 m (1ft) by 0.5 m (1ft 8in) at a slow rate. See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 8 and is not frost tender. It is in leaf all year, in flower in May. The species is dioecious (individual flowers are either male or female, but only one sex is to be found on any one plant so both male and female plants must be grown if seed is required). and is pollinated by Bees, flies, Lepidoptera (Moths & Butterflies). The plant is not self-fertile. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid and neutral soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers moist soil. The plant can tolerate maritime exposure.
Height (m): 0.3
Where it is found
Dwarf shrub heath, feldmark communities, bogs and swamps, in open Nothofagus forest and occasionally frequent in the understorey.
S. America - Chile and Tierra Del Fuego.
Conservation Status:
Countries/locations it is found in
How it is used
Food
Rating: 2
Fruit - raw or cooked. It is supposed to have tonic properties.
Medicine
Rating: 1
Tonic.
Tonic: Improves general health. Slower acting than a stimulant, it brings steady improvement.
Other
Rating:
Plants can be used for groundcover in exposed locations.
Ground cover: Ground Cover
How it is grown
A calcifuge plant, it is easily grown in a moist lime-free peaty soil. Tolerates exposed positions, including maritime exposure in Cornwall. This species is closely related to E. nigrum. Dioecious. Male and female plants must be grown if seed is required.
Propagating it: Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame. The seed can be very slow to germinate, stored seed requires 5 months warm then 3 months cold stratification at 5°c. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. Cuttings of half-ripe wood, 3cm with a heel, July/August in a frame. Takes 3 weeks. Good percentage. Cuttings of mature wood of the current year's growth, 3cm with a heel, October in a frame. Requires shade. Good percentage.
Best place to grow: Woodland Garden Sunny Edge; Dappled Shade; Ground Cover; Cultivated Beds;
Habit: Shrub
Hardiness:
Growth: Slow
Soil: Light (sandy), medium, heavy (clay)
Shade: Semi-shade, no shade
Moisture: Moist