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Common Name: Mountain Crowberry

General Information

Empetrum eamesii hermaphroditum 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 and source of materials.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

, ,

Range

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

Habitat

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

Properties

Edibility Rating
Habit	Evergreen Shrub
Height	0.30 m
Pollinators	Bees, Flies, Lepidoptera
Self-fertile	Yes
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

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[].

Edible Uses

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[].

Medicinal

None known

Other Uses

Plants can be used for groundcover in exposed locations[].

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[, ].