Bunchberry

Bunchberry (Cornus canadensis, Cornaceae) is a deciduous groundcover native to North America from southern Greenland and Alaska south to Maryland and west to South Dakota, New Mexico, and California. It reaches just 3 to 9 inches tall, spreading via creeping rhizomes. Small greenish-white flowers are surrounded by four showy white bracts, followed by bright scarlet fruit (6 millimeters) that attract birds. Foliage turns red in fall.

Bunchberry grows in part shade on well-drained, acidic soils (pH 5.5 to 6.9) rich in organic matter like peat or pine needles, hardy in Zones 2a to 8b. It requires consistently moist soil, has low drought tolerance, and a minimum of 100 frost-free days. Growth is slow and maintenance is low. It is resistant to rabbit and deer browse. Disease and pest associations mirror those of the Cornus genus broadly, including anthracnose, powdery mildew, and various scale insects. No cultivars are documented.