Taxon Report

Empetrum nigrum

black crowberry

Print Report

Taxon Summary

Empetrum nigrum, commonly known as black crowberry, is a perennial evergreen shrub in the Empetraceae that is found in California and elsewhere. It occurs within Coastal bluff scrub, and Coastal prairie, growing at elevations from 10 to 200 meters. Empetrum nigrum is ranked 2B.2, Plants Rare, Threatened, or Endangered in California, But More Common Elsewhere; Moderately threatened in California.

Classification


Scientific Name:	Empetrum nigrum
Common Name:	black crowberry
Family:	Empetraceae
Element Code:	PDEMP03020
USDA Plants Symbol:	EMNI
Synonyms/Other Names:	Empetrum hermaphroditum Empetrum nigrum ssp. hermaphroditum

Ecology and Life History


Lifeform:	perennial evergreen shrub
Blooming Period: Apr-Jun	Apr-Jun
Elevation:	10-200 (35-655)
General Habitats:	Coastal bluff scrub, Coastal prairie
Microhabitat:
Microhabitat Details:

Conservation Status


CA Rare Plant Rank:	2B.2
Global Rank:	G5
State Rank:	S1?
State List:	None
Fed List:	None
Other Status:
CRPR Changes:	changed from 2.2 to 2B.2 on 2013-06-12

Occurrence Data from the CNDDB


Total Occurrences:	4
Element Occurrence Ranks:
Excellent (A)	0
Good (B)	0
Fair (C)	0
Poor (D)	0
None (X)	1
Unknown (U)	3

Location


California Endemic: False
California Counties and Islands: Name (Code)
Del Norte (DNT), Humboldt (HUM)
Quads: Name (Quad Code)
Crescent City (4112472), Sister Rocks (4112462), Trinidad (4112412)

Threat List Data from the CNDDB


Threat List Total:	2
EOs with Threat Listed:	Total EOs	% of EOs
	1	25 %
Foot traffic/trampling	1	25%
Grazing	1	25%

Notes



Threatened by trampling and cattle grazing. Previously treated as E. nigrum ssp. hermaphroditum, which has bisexual flowers; most CA plants seem dioecious. See Four Seasons 4(4):19-20 (1974) for species account, and Madroño 23(5):299 (1976) for discussion of HUM Co. discovery.
Threats:
Threatened by trampling and cattle grazing.
Taxonomy:
Previously treated as E. nigrum ssp. hermaphroditum, which has bisexual flowers; most CA plants seem dioecious.

Selected References

Citation California Native Plant Society, Rare Plant Program. 2025. Rare Plant Inventory (online edition, v9.5.1). Website https://www.rareplants.cnps.org [accessed 10 November 2025].