#dwarf cornel

[michaelnordeman]

Snasahögarna in Jämtland, Sweden (September 7, 2021).

[vandaliatraveler]

Bunchberry (Cornus canadensis), also known as dwarf cornel, is a clump-forming perennial that could easily be mistaken for an herbaceous forb but is in fact a creeping shrub - a miniature dogwood. One of the plant’s other common names is creeping dogwood. Bunchberry produces four to six deeply-veined, elliptical leaves, which are arranged in false whorls near the top of a short stem. The plant’s flower, which appears in late spring to early summer, consists of four, ivory-white bracts surrounding a greenish-yellow umbel; it closely resembles that of the flowering dogwood. The flower is later replaced by edible, berry-like drupes. In Central Appalachia, the cold-hardy bunchberry grows at high elevations in boreal forests. In the right environment, this plant makes a stunning ground cover for native plant gardens. The above photos were taken on the summit of Spruce Mountain and at Spruce Knob Lake.