Mountain Crowberry, Rockberry
Empetrum eamesii hermaphroditum

Family: Empetraceae

What it is like

Bloom Color: Purple, Red. Main Bloom Time: Early summer, Late summer, Mid summer. Form: Prostrate, Spreading or horizontal.

Empetrum eamesii hermaphroditum is an evergreen Shrub growing to 0.3 m (1ft). See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 3 and is not frost tender. It is in leaf all year, in flower in March. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and is pollinated by Bees, flies, Lepidoptera (Moths & Butterflies). The plant is self-fertile. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid and neutral soils and can grow in very acid soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers moist soil. The plant can tolerates strong winds but not maritime exposure.

Height (m): 0.3

Where it is found

On mountain tops and moors, mostly at high altitudes but down to sea level in the far north of its range.

Northern Europe, including Britain, mountains in southern Europe, Greenland, Canada and Siberia.

Conservation Status:

Countries/locations it is found in

How it is used

Food

Rating: 2

Fruit - raw or cooked. A watery flavour, it is mainly used for making drinks, pies, preserves etc. The Inuit dry or freeze them for winter use. The fruit is about 4mm in diameter. A tea can be made from the twigs.

Tea: the various herb teas that can be used in place of tea, plus the genuine article.

Medicine

Rating: 0

Other

Rating:

Plants can be used for groundcover in exposed locations.

Ground cover: Ground Cover

How it is grown

Landscape Uses:Erosion control, Foundation, Ground cover, Massing, Rock garden. A calcifuge plant, it is easily grown in a moist lime-free peaty soil. Unlike most members of this genus, this species is hermaphrodite and self-fertile. There has been some confusion over the name of this plant. Some authorities refer to it as E. hermaphroditum and others include it in E. nigrum or E. eamesii. Special Features: Attractive foliage, North American native, Inconspicuous flowers or blooms.

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;

Habit: Shrub

Hardiness: 3-8

Growth:

Soil: Light (sandy), medium, heavy (clay)

Shade: No shade

Moisture: Moist

Things to keep in mind

Its other names

Local names

Synonyms

E. hermaphroditum. E. nigrum hermaphroditum.