Bunchberry vs Cloudberry

Cloudberry produces berries which taste tart and tangy with a sweet, floral hint. The berries have a creamy texture when overripe. They are often used to make jams, juices, and liquors. The berries are a pale red colour and when ripe turn more orange/amber. They do not grow very tall, generally reaching only 10-25 cm.

Cloudberry has distinct male and female plants. In order to produce berries, both must be present and pollinate with each other. Berries are produced at maturity, typically 5-7 years, and produce 1 berry per stem. The plant spreads naturally as they grow using modified underground stems (rhizomes), forming more plants over time in the same area.

This plant can be found wild in Canada’s boreal forest. In Newfoundland and Labrador, this plant is known as the Bakeapple and is a significant regional food. Similarly the Côte-Nord region of Quebec also has a long history of using this berry.

Note: Cloudberries require very specific soil conditions. They need well-drained soil with a pH between 3.5 and 5.0. Also sensitive to salt and dry conditions.

Note: Our seedlings are grown from seed and are too young to identify their sex.

The Bunchberry, or Quatre-Temps as it is commonly known in Quebec, is an excellent ornamental plant to have in your garden. With star-shaped white flowers in spring and clusters of bright red berries in the fall, this is one of the most refined and hardy groundcovers available. The foliage has ornamental value, with leaves going from a deep green in the spring and summer to a beautiful brick-red in the fall.

Bunchberry is a spreading evergreen perennial with a ground-hugging habit of growth. This plant is not well suited for urban areas close to streetsides, as it is quite intolerant to pollution. It is Canada’s national flower.

According to a poll done by the Master Gardeners of Ontario, it is one of the most recognizable Canadian flowers.

Its flowers grow with elastic petals and "fire" its pollen with the force of 2000-3000 times the force of gravity.

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