ABSTRACT
Empetrum nigrum is a circumboreal species. In North America, it occurs in Alaska, all of the provinces and territories of Canada, the three West coast states, and the northeastern states. Black crowberry thrives in well-drained sandy soils, wet peat soils, bogs, and rocky shores, usually showing a very strong avoidance of basic soils. Crowberry fruits are juicy, slightly acidic, varying from bland to sweet. Indigenous peoples throughout the natural range of the species harvested the berries for food in the autumn when they matured. Indeed, the berries were a staple among subarctic people. Crowberry is collected in considerable amounts from wild stands, and mostly consumed locally, but it is also sold commercially in northern climates, and used in some commercial blended juices. Crowberry fruits have high levels of anthocyanin pigments in the skin, which have potential as nutritive extracts and natural food colorants.
