Bunchberry, Cornus canadensis
 
 
Bunchberry is an excellent woodland ground cover. It grows about 25 cm tall and has beautiful leaves arranged like a bouquet. It might be surprising that it belongs to the dogwood family.
 
Its green, inconspicuous flowers bloom from May to September. They are surrounded by four showy white bracts that look like big white flowers. Flowering dogwood trees (Cornus florida) have the same white, showy bracts. 
 
A cluster of edible red berries looks beautiful in late summer, and the leaves turn wine-red in the fall. Bunchberry spreads slowly by underground rhizomes to form dense colonies. 
 
Bunchberry fruits are edible but not tasty.
 
Ecology:
Bunchberry is a larval host plant for many moth species.
It has a special relationship with some species of mining bees.  Bunchberry pollen is the only pollen their larvae can feed on.
Birds like robins, vireos and sparrows and small mammals eat the fruits and stems.
Bunchberry can propel pollen over 1 meter into the air through water pressure and an explosive mechanism. This ensures good cross-pollination throughout the colony.
 
Growing conditions:
Bunchberry grows in coniferous and deciduous forests, wetlands, bogs, meadows, and thickets in full sun to full shade in the wild. Bunchberry prefers acidic, cool, moist woodland soil but can grow   or clay. To acidify your soil, you can add pine needles.