The fastest plant in the world resides unassumingly in Nova Scotia’s cool woods. Botanists have discovered that the petals of bunchberries move at a speed of 22 feet per second when they open, releasing a flurry of pollen into the air.
In late summer however, it’s the red berries of this plant that dot the forest floor. Their leaves are worn and streaked with burgundy, duller versions of the fresh green plants that brightened the ground back in June.
These bland tasting berries are edible but far less enjoyable to the palate than the blackberries available in the wild at this time of year. Yet children often enjoy them and find them easy to pick. Berries can be found on plants consisting of six leaves. Also known as dwarf dogwood, the plant will acquire an overall burgundy color later in the fall. Berries dry as the season progresses, providing food for deer, moose, grouse and songbirds.
With a preference for acidic woods, bunchberries often grow in partially shaded spots. They are known to neutralize the effects of acid rain.
Known as Cornus canadensis in Latin, bunchberries are native to northern North America and have a history of being used medicinally for kidney ailments, to lower fevers and treat infant colic. Leaves have been applied topically to stop bleeding and heal wounds. Berries can be made into a poultice to treat burns or taken internally to help counteract the negative effects of ingesting poisonous plants. Their use is being investigated for cancer treatment.
High in pectin, berries can also be made into jellies and puddings. In the fall, they were gathered by native people by the bushel full and later either frozen or stored in bear fat for use in winter. The berries are thought to promote mental strength and clarity which is reason enough to give them a try.
They look very similar to the cornus suecica which grows around here.
Eldrid
They certainly do Eldrid.
I haven’t thought of bunchberries in many years. I had a friend who lives in Jacobsville (north of here) who was a watercolorist and she once gave me a pictue she had done of them….wonder what ever happened to that picture?!? Thanx for the reminder of a dear friend!
Cindy, when I wrote this post I didn’t imagine it would bring up memories of bunchberries 🙂
Mental strength, eh? I’m off in search of those bunchberries I was leaving for the bear. I might need them more than s/he does.
You and me both Gerry 🙂
Are they the littlest dogwood? I’ll be looking for them next week in the U.P. We have some here in Leelanau, too, but I have more time to look when on vacation.
Pamela, yes I did come across that in my research that they were the littlest dogwood. They can’t tolerate too much heat or cold and prefer acidic soil so look for them on the edge of woods that are not too far from marshes and bogs.
Very interesting. When I think of dogwood I normally just think of their aesthetic value.
Jessica
Jessica, I came across a quote this morning from Helen Keller on the miracle of dogwood. There are many facets to its wonders.
Those berries look a lot like the red poison berries I remember from New York. Don’t know what they’re called though.
There are so many red berries growing in the wild, especially at this time of year. It’s often difficult to tell the difference between them so it’s best to not eat them if you have any doubt.
Lovely – and such cleverness.
JoAnn, they certainly are beautiful in their simplicity. I don’t recall seeing them in the woods out west, but that may be because I was so distracted by the beautiful trees and variety of ferns.
Love the bunchberry. Like you, have an intimate relationship with it. Can’t tell you how many bunchberry plants I have sat next to this year. Yesterday morning, surrounded by a sea of them overlooking the lake…they are so gorgeous, although many of them are starting to turn brown. But some are still in their peak.
Kathy, isn’t it something how we can have intimate relationships with plants? Spend a bit of time with them and before you know it, they’ve grown on you 🙂
Are you quite sure those botanists got their calculations right?
“Botanists have discovered that the petals of bunchberries move at a speed of 22 feet per second when they open, releasing a flurry of pollen into the air.”
22 feet per SECOND???
I just had this frightening image of me running through the woods, pursued by bunchberries opening up and ejecting a spray of pollen to make me sneeze!
Thank heavens, they don’t appear to exist here. We have quite enough plants releasing pollen round about now.
A–a—tchooo!
Reggie, see here for the 22 feet per second info:
http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/bunchberry-found-to-be-fastest-plant-490398.html
and here:
http://www.humanflowerproject.com/index.php/weblog/comments/the_worlds_fastest_flower/
for the same information stated in different terms (the flowers open in 0.5 milliseconds)
Their pollen is supposed to shoot up 10x the height of the plant which is not all that high considering how low they are to the ground. They can’t tolerate extreme heat so are not likely to be in Africa.