The Temperate Database is in the process of being updated, with new records being added and old ones being checked and brought up to date where necessary. This record has not yet been checked and updated.

Common Name: Portuguese Crowberry

General Information

Corema album is an evergreen shrub that can grow up to 0.30 metres tall.
It is harvested from the wild for local use as a food.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

S. W. Europe - Portugal and Spain.

Habitat

Maritime sands and dunes on the Atlantic littoral.

Properties

Edibility Rating
Habit	Evergreen Shrub
Height	0.30 m
Self-fertile	No
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

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[].

Edible Uses

Fruit - raw or cooked[].

Medicinal

None known

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

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, mid summer in a frame.
Cuttings of mature wood of the current year's growth, late autumn in a frame.