Portuguese Crowberry
Corema album

Family: Empetraceae

What it is like

Corema album is an evergreen Shrub growing to 0.3 m (1ft). See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 8. It is in leaf all year. 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). . The plant is not self-fertile. Suitable for: light (sandy) and medium (loamy) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid soils and can grow in very acid soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers dry or moist soil.

Height (m): 0.3

Where it is found

Maritime sands and dunes on the Atlantic littoral.

S. W. Europe - Portugal and Spain.

Conservation Status:

Countries/locations it is found in

How it is used

Food

Rating: 1

Fruit - raw or cooked.

Medicine

Rating: 0

Other

Rating:

How it is grown

Requires a light or medium lime-free soil, succeeding in full sun or light shade. Plants are growing very well in a sandy peat in a garden near London. This species is not hardy in the colder areas of the country, it tolerates temperatures down to between -5 and -10°c. Dioecious, male and female plants must be grown if seed and fruit is required.

Propagating it: Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame. Stored seed requires 5 months warm stratification followed by 3 months 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, July/August in a frame. Cuttings of mature wood of the current year's growth, November in a frame.

Best place to grow: Woodland Garden Sunny Edge; Cultivated Beds;

Habit: Shrub

Hardiness: 7-10

Growth:

Soil: Light (sandy), medium

Shade: Semi-shade, no shade

Moisture: Dry, moist

Things to keep in mind

Its other names

Local names

Synonyms

Empetrum album.