Before the announcement for the Shop re-opening, I have good reason to ‘recycle’ and update a post about the lovely Cornus canadensis  (bunchberry, dwarf cornel) from a few years ago.
Reason is that fruits have just been collected and, together with few other species, they await the seeds extraction.
So, keep in mind that a new group of species will be posted in the inventory later next week. Among them: Aralia hispida, Lobelia spicata, Drosera intermedia and few others.
By a good chance, seeds of another species that wasn’t offered in quite a few years: Coptis trifolia, the goldthread were also collected.

Usually the name Cornus makes us think of trees and shrubs. But the bunchberry is a lovely perennial dogwood, which grows only to 15-20 cm tall, with leaves arranged in whorls of 4 or 6. The flowers, typical for a Cornus, are easy recognizable after the 4 large, white petal-like bracts. The fruit is an attractive, red, globe-shaped drupe, persistent, and also edible; especially birds are very fond on consuming the fruits during the fall migration.

Cornus canadensis flowers

Good as a groundcover in shaded, moist locations, underneath small trees or shrubs; lovely to grow underneath Rhododendrons for example. I have also seen it growing on old tree stumps on top of moss, which would be great to try to ‘reproduce’ if possible (Coptis trifolia and Medeola virginiana can be grown the same way). It also needs a slightly acidic substrate and a cool location.  Usually it can be found in the company of Linnaea borealis, Trientalis borealis, Coptis trifolia, Maianthemum canadense and few others.

Cornus canadensis

 Propagation from seeds is slow and the best protocol I found suggests: a period of warm/moist stratification for 45 days; followed by cold-moist stratification for 140 days (ie. 4-5 months or two winters). I think we can try to replace 1 winter by doing the following:
warm/moist stratification 1 month + GA3 treatment + cold/moist stratification (2-3 months = 1 winter).

 Among its uses by the Indigenous People I found the mention of fruits consumption as a cure for insanity ;) I will chew some while extracting the seeds; who knows, I might get cured of the insanity of trying to maintain this seeds business during a time of increasing world-wide practices of restricting gardeners access to seeds, or better said, rules favoring the large, multinational companies in detriment of small scale operations. Sounds familiar?

Until tomorrow…

 

*I cannot miss the chance to post this link where the unique pollination mechanism found in Cornus canadensis is described:

THE EXPLOSIVE POLLINATION MECHANISM IN CORNUS CANADENSIS L. : https://www.ou.edu/cas/botany-micro/ben/ben194.html

 

 

7 replies
  1. diversifolius
    diversifolius says:

    You can give it a try in the fall again by seeds, and maybe I will provide dry berries too for those in need…
    (it really needs a cool, moist spot and improved substrate – anything that would acidify it: pine needles compost, peat)

  2. Brian Carson
    Brian Carson says:

    Dr. Mosquin described the unusual explosive pollination mechanism of this little gem several years ago in BEN. Check it out next spring when you are poking around the garden or woods.

  3. diversifolius
    diversifolius says:

    Thanks, that’s really interesting! – always something new to learn about…There is a small population in the nearby woods that I can check in the spring (for collecting I have to go a
    bit up north).

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