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 Crowberry
(Empetrum nigrum). The crowberry, known in Newfoundland
as a blackberry, is similar in appearance to a black partridgeberry
or blueberry. It is a light green, mat forming shrub which
grows in areas similar to that of the partridgeberry. The
Inuit, of which these berries are a staple, call them, 'Fruit
of the North.' Their flowers, male, female, or both sexes
are purple-crimson, inconspicuous, and appear May to June.
The season usually begins in July and lasts until the first
snow. They are almost completely devoid of natural acid
and their sweet flavor generally peaks after frost. The
Dene of Slave Lake gathered these berries to  relieve
thirst when no water was available. Crowberries are a good source of vitamin C, dietary fibre, and folate.
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