Quackin Grass Nursery

Empetrum nigrum 'Bernstein' - This form of Crowberry displays its spruce / heath-like foliage in a beautiful gold color which becomes burnished gold-orange in the late season. 'Bernstein' will require another clone for it to produce its black berries which offer opulence studding the burnished late season foliage. (Empetrum nigrum var. hermaphroditum offers male and female flower on the same plant and will double the fruiting interest of both; it will pollinate the flowers of 'Bernstein'. And the var. hermaphroditum form, as Woody Allen might say, "gets twice as many dates".) The species hales from the Arctic Archipelago. Where 'Bernstein' may have been spotted we do not know. To satisfy this interesting little ericaceous shrub plant in acid fertile to sandy / bony moist ground... nice among boulders and stone near a wet area sited in part to mostly sunny exposure. Also good in a peat / heath garden where soils are never too dry. Established potted starter shrub from cutting.