Crowberry (Empetrum nigrum)
Crowberry (Empetrum
nigrum)
Young plants about 15 cm high, grown in 7 cm pots.
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Small Shrubs
Native
Females in stock
£6.50
Called dearcan feannaig in Scots Gaelic the crowberry is a truly wild plant at home on the peaty moors of Scotland.
We find crowberries
are happy to grow in containers though, but if you have a shady, peaty spot then so much the better, and it would probably make a good ground cover in such conditions. Looking a bit like heather and growing up to about 30 cm, it is hardy and evergreen and also said to do well in rock gardens or under other acid loving shrubs.
The plants are not self-fertile, indeed they are singles sexed and currently we only have female plants at the moment, but hopefully we can find some male plants amongst the seedlings we have and eventually add them to our stock...
The fruit, a small black berry born in clusters, is ripe in the autumn and some say it has turpentine like taste, slightly acid. It is rich in vitamin C and used to be eaten raw and was once made into a sort of drink with sour milk. Perhaps just adding them to a fruit salad would be preferable.