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Empetrum nigrum

Black Crowberry · Blackberry · Crowberry

Family EricaceaeGenus Empetrum

Two glossy black berries sitting close to a woody stem crowded with short green needle-like leaves.
FruitB.gliwaCC BY-SA 2.5

About the plant

What it is and where it grows — not part of any germination protocol.

The plant

Habit
subshrubPlants of the World Online
Habit
Perennial, Shrub, SubshrubPLANTS Database
Height
1.0 ft30 cmPLANTS Database
Flower
PurplePLANTS Database
Blooms
Mid SummerPLANTS Database
Native range
Alaska, Albania, Alberta, Aleutian Is., Altay, Amur and elsewhereGBIF Backbone Taxonomy

Growing conditions

Sun
Shade tolerance: HighPLANTS Database
Soil
Adapted to medium, fine textured soilsPLANTS Database
Soil pH
4.3-7.8PLANTS Database
Moisture
Moisture use: LowPLANTS Database
Watering
Drought tolerance: MediumPLANTS Database

Toxicity is noted only where a source states it. No note here is not a finding of safety.

Sources: Plants of the World Online — Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew; PLANTS Database — USDA NRCS; GBIF Backbone Taxonomy — Global Biodiversity Information Facility.

Worth knowing

  • Empetrum is Greek for upon a rock; nigrum is Latin for black. Its berries have been a vital part of the diet of the Inuit and the Sami, and go into Alaskan ice cream. Wikipedia: Empetrum nigrum

This source reports two treatments. Both are shown.

Protocol 1

DerivedN. C. Deno, 1996

Difficulty Moderate Rated by us, not by the source.

Start around December 1, 2026 for a May 3 last frost.

  1. Gibberellic acid soak

  2. Sow and cover

    Temperature: 70°F 21°C Light: either

No stated waiting before sowing. Then 125 days to germinate.

37% germination in 125 days.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 1st Supplement — N. C. Deno, 1996 · 1st Supplement, Empetrum p. 41Public domain
Show the original text
Empetrum (Empetraceae). E. nigrum germ. best in 70 GA-3 and OT. The data are 70 GA-3(37%, ind. 125 d, zero order rate, 2.5%/d), 36% in May-August and 24% the following April in OT, and 70-40-70(8%). Light, a prior 3 m at 40, or DS 6 m had no effect, however, the seeds were dead after 1 y DS.
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 1st Supplement, 1st Supplement, Empetrum p. 41. Quoted exactly. Every value on this card comes from this record, except the difficulty rating, which is ours; the step names come from a fixed list.

Protocol 2

DerivedN. C. Deno, 1996

Difficulty Very high Rated by us, not by the source.

Start around September 17, 2027 for a May 3 last frost. Too late for spring 2027 — that needed starting on September 16, 2026.

  1. Warm moist stratification

    Duration: 90 daysTemperature: 70°F 21°C Light: either

  2. Cold moist stratification

    Duration: 90 daysTemperature: 40°F 4°C Light: either

  3. Warm moist stratification

    Duration: 90 daysTemperature: 70°F 21°C Light: either

about 6 months from start to step 3. Germination happens during step 3; time not stated, 21 days assumed.

8% germination.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 1st Supplement — N. C. Deno, 1996 · 1st Supplement, Empetrum p. 41Public domain
Show the original text
Empetrum (Empetraceae). E. nigrum germ. best in 70 GA-3 and OT. The data are 70 GA-3(37%, ind. 125 d, zero order rate, 2.5%/d), 36% in May-August and 24% the following April in OT, and 70-40-70(8%). Light, a prior 3 m at 40, or DS 6 m had no effect, however, the seeds were dead after 1 y DS.
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 1st Supplement, 1st Supplement, Empetrum p. 41. Quoted exactly. Every value on this card comes from this record, except the difficulty rating, which is ours; the step names come from a fixed list.

How each step is done, in Deno’s words, and what Verified and Derived mean.

Germination trials

Readers’ own records of sowing this species, published after review. Share your trial · All trials

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