Bunchberry Dogwood
(Cornus canadensis)

The bunchberry dogwood plant is a low-growing perennial that is usually under eight inches tall. It has one or two whorls of leaves at the top of each stem. These leaves are generally oblong shaped and have deep, well-defined veins that point toward the tip. They are a dark green color on top an are slightly shiny.

Bunchberry can be found growing throughout the Upper Great Lakes area. It is found as far north as Canada and Greenland and as far south as New Mexico. It usually grows in cool, moist locations. Bunchberry prefers well-drained but damp soil on the forest floor.

The flowers of the bunchberry form between June and August. They are white and seem to have four petals. In fact, the white part is called a "bract" and the really flower is the tiny cluster of greenish-yellow heads in the center. Later in the summer, small red berries form where the flowers once were. Even though these berries are kind of tasteless, some people use them to make jam. Birds and animals that eat these berries help to distribute the seeds to new locations. Moose, Spruce Grouse, and Warbling Vireo especially like dining on the bunchberry fruits.

Besides seeds, the bunchberry dogwood can also reproduce by rhizomes that spread along just under the soil's surface. This is why bunchberry is often found in large colonies in a single location. It also means that they are easily disturbed by disruptions in the soil. Its Latin name means horns or antlers or Canada.

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