Fauna
Plant

Canadian Bunchberry

Cornus canadensis

Also known as Creeping Dogwood, Canadian Dwarf Cornel

Canadian bunchberry is a low, rhizomatous dogwood that carpets cool forest floors with whorls of leaves. Four white bracts surround a small flower cluster, which later develops into a tight group of red drupes.

Forest GroundcoverRhizomatous DogwoodWhite Bracts
—observations
—countries
—peak records
Not EvaluatedConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXNot Evaluated — not placed on the risk ladderRed List categories, explained →
Diet & preyPhotosynthesis; shallow roots absorb water and mineral nutrients
Predators
  • Slugs
  • Browsing deer
  • Leaf-eating insects
ThreatsWarming climate, drying soils, trampling, forest-floor disturbance, and canopy removal
HabitatsCool moist coniferous and mixed forest, bog margins, mossy slopes, and tundra scrub
Life spanPerennial colonies can persist for many years through spreading rhizomes
  1. OrderCornales
  2. FamilyCornaceae
  3. GenusCornus
  4. SpeciesCornus canadensis
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskLow
  1. Low
  2. Moderate
  3. High
  4. Very high
Why interaction risk is low
Wild plants and drupes have look-alikes; do not eat or ingest material based on app identification.
Responsible observation
  • Flowers: The four white parts are showy bracts around many tiny flowers.
  • Colony: Stay on paths to protect shallow rhizomes and forest-floor shoots.
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