Bunchberry
Lynn Davies
BUNCHBERRY, Creeping Dogwood or Cornus canadensis
Introduction
The bunchberry is a flowering plant, which means it belongs to the group of plants that produce flowers and then develop fruits. It is called the “bunchberry” because of the bunches of bright red “berries” that it develops in late summer. The bunchberry is native to Nova Scotia and is very noticeable in both the spring when it flowers, and late summer/early fall when its cluster of red berries stands out. The bunchberry is a low growing plant. It is often referred to as a “ground cover” plant because it grows densely in great abundance. It spreads easily via “rhizomes” which are stems that grow horizontally underground.
Appearance and Habitat
The bunchberry grows in partially-shaded clearings of many forested areas. It is quite robust and can thrive in various soil and light conditions. The bunchberry usually has four to six glossy leaves, with somewhat parallel veins. The leaves are arranged almost as the points of a star. In mid-May, the four-petaled flower opens in a pale green colour, although it quickly develops into a bright white colour. The centre of the flower appears yellowish-green; this is where the stamens (male parts carrying pollen) and pistils (female part with eggs that develop into seeds) are found. The pollinated pistils develop into beautiful bright red berries with a single seed inside. In the fall, the leaves of the bunchberry turn a dark red.
Special Relationships
The berries of this plant are very important as food for birds and rodents. Grouse and smaller songbirds are both known to eat large amounts of bunchberries. Like most plants, the roots of the bunchberry have an important relationship with fungi in the ground called “mycorrhizae”. The mycorrhizal fungi provide hard-to-get nutrients to the plants in exchange for sugars such as glucose.
Human Use
The berries are mildly sweet, without much other flavour. They can be eaten fresh off the plant as trail snacks (the seeds are hard to separate from the flesh of the berry, so it is easiest to just crunch the seeds up with the berries). The berries can also be used in jams as they contain lot of pectin (the chemical that makes jams “set”), but the seeds can be a problem for this use. The seeds can be removed after a quick steaming using a mechanical sieve.
Interesting Fact
In Nova Scotia, the bunchberry is pollinated primarily by bumblebees, although the bunchberry flower has no nectar to feed them. The big white flower tricks the bees into coming to the flower and then the pollen is catapulted into the air and onto the bee (or into air currents) by the stamen. This is quite a unique pollination strategy! (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kDbHMDIYKzw).
Biomimicry
Scientists inspired by the unique abilities of certain organisms often try and create inventions based on those unique abilities: this is called biomimicry. The way in which the bunchberry catapults its pollen into the air has intrigued many scientists, both engineers and biologists. They are trying to figure out a way to copy this plant’s ability to explosively propel pollen and use it in our technological world.
Scientific Name
The bunchberry is known scientifically as Cornus canadensis. ~Monica Schuegraf
