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: Rockberry

General Information

Empetrum eamesii is an evergreen shrub that can grow up to 0.15 metres tall.
It is harvested from the wild for local use as a food and source of materials.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

,

Range

North-eastern N. America - S.E. Labrador to Newfoundland and Nova Scotia.

Habitat

Exposed sands and siliceous gravels and rocks[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Habit	Evergreen Shrub
Height	0.15 m
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

A calcifuge plant, it is easily grown in a lime-free soil[]. Prefers a moist sandy peaty soil and some shade[, ].
The flowers of this species are usually hermaphrodite, but some female flowers are produced[].

Edible Uses

Fruit - raw or cooked[, ]. The fruit is about 4mm in diameter[].

Medicinal

None known

Other Uses

Succeeds as a ground cover plant in exposed positions[].

Propagation

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, mid summer in a frame. Takes 3 weeks. Good percentage[, ].
Cuttings of mature wood of the current year's growth, 3cm with a heel, early autumn in a frame. Requires shade. Good percentage[, ].