Flower profile

Canadian bunchberry

Cornus canadensis

Canadian bunchberry (Cornus canadensis) is a shrub in the Cornaceae family, native in the lower 48 states, blooming mostly May–July across the U.S.

Native in the lower 48

Canadian bunchberry is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. It's on our flower lists for 8 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in May–July.

29states where USDA records it

8Bloomipedia state lists include it

29,593U.S. sightings*

*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.

On our lists for: Alaska, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New York, Vermont, Wisconsin

Quick look

Cornus canadensis is a species of flowering plant in the dogwood family Cornaceae, native to eastern Asia and North America. Common names include Canadian dwarf cornel, Canadian bunchberry, quatre-temps, crackerberry, and creeping dogwood. It is a creeping, rhizomatous perennial growing to about 20 centimetres tall.
From Wikipedia's article Cornus canadensis, CC BY-SA 4.0.

It belongs to the Cornaceae family. ^iNaturalist
USDA PLANTS describes it as an herb (forb) / a shrub with a perennial life cycle. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 29 states. ^{USDA PLANTS}
In New Hampshire, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in May–July. ^iNaturalist
In Maine, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in May–July. ^iNaturalist
USDA PLANTS lists its flower color as white. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS gives its bloom period as late spring. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS lists a mature height of about 0.5 ft. ^{USDA PLANTS}
iNaturalist has 6,290 research-grade sightings of it in New Hampshire, ranking #2 among the 157 flowers on our New Hampshire list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 6,071 research-grade sightings of it in Maine, ranking #2 among the 160 flowers on our Maine list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 3,611 research-grade sightings of it in Minnesota, ranking #17 among the 152 flowers on our Minnesota list. ^iNaturalist

When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (2,814 records)

Bloom time in the 8 states whose Bloomipedia list includes it

State	Type	Peak bloom	Sightings*
New Hampshire	Native	May–July	6,290
Maine	Native	May–July	6,071
Minnesota	Native	June–July	3,611
Michigan	Native	May–June	3,071
Vermont	Native	May–June	2,715
New York	Native	May–June	2,580
Wisconsin	Native	May–June	1,994
Alaska	Native	June–July	815

Conservation status

Federal (U.S. ESA)

Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. ^{USFWS ECOS}

NatureServe global

G5 Secure worldwide. ^NatureServe

State rare plant lists

Not listed Not on the official rare plant list in 7 of our 8 states.

See each state

New Hampshire: Not listed Not on New Hampshire Official Rare Plants List (Ncr 312, eff. Jan 1, 2020). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in New Hampshire. ^{NH Ncr 312}
Maine: Not listed Not on Maine Rare Plant List (Maine Natural Areas Program, 2021). E and T are Maine's official endangered and threatened plants (12 M.R.S.); SC and PE are tracking categories. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Maine. ^{Maine rare plant list}
Minnesota: Not listed Not on Minnesota endangered, threatened and special concern plants (Minn. R. 6134.0300). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Minnesota. ^{Minn. R. 6134.0300}
Michigan: Not listed Not on Michigan endangered and threatened plants (Mich. Admin. Code R 299.1028, eff. March 20, 2023). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Michigan. ^{R 299.1028}
Vermont: Not listed Not on Endangered and Threatened Plants of Vermont (10 V.S.A. chap. 123; list of Feb 10, 2022). NatureServe: S5, secure in Vermont. ^{Vermont E&T list}
New York: Not listed Not on New York protected native plants (6 NYCRR § 193.3). NatureServe: S4, apparently secure in New York. ^{6 NYCRR § 193.3}
Wisconsin: Not listed Not on Wisconsin endangered and threatened species list (Wis. Admin. Code NR 27.03). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Wisconsin. ^{NR 27.03}

Alaska

No list Alaska has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Alaska ranks instead. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Alaska.

Rare elsewhere

Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: IA (S1), IL (S1), IN (S1), MD (S1), NJ (S1), NM (S1), OH (S1), RI (S2), VA (S1), WV (S2), WY (S2). (S1 critically imperiled, S2 imperiled, SH possibly extirpated, SX presumed extirpated.)

Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.

Can you eat it?

For peopleEdible (per NC State Extension)

NC State Extension notes: “The berries are edible. The fruits may be added to puddings, preserves, and sauces.” ^{NC State Extension}

For petsNot well documented

It isn't on the ASPCA plant list, and NC State Extension doesn't flag it for pets.

🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.

Where does it grow?

USDA PLANTS records canadian bunchberry in 29 states.

AKMEVTNHWAIDMTNDMNILWIMINYRIMAORNVWYSDIAINOHPANJCTCAUTCONEMOKYWVVAMDDEAZNMKSARTNNCSCDCOKLAMSALGAHITXFL

recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming.

New Hampshire counties with USDA records: Belknap, Carroll, Cheshire, Coos, Grafton, Hillsborough, Merrimack, Rockingham, Strafford, Sullivan.

Maine counties with USDA records: Androscoggin, Aroostook, Cumberland, Franklin, Hancock, Kennebec, Knox, Lincoln, Oxford, Penobscot, Piscataquis, Sagadahoc, Somerset, Waldo, Washington, York.

Minnesota counties with USDA records: Aitkin, Anoka, Becker, Beltrami, Carlton, Cass, Chisago, Clearwater, Cook, Crow Wing, Dakota, Fillmore, Goodhue, Hennepin, Houston, Hubbard, Isanti, Itasca, Kanabec, Kittson, Koochiching, Lake, Lake of the Woods, Mahnomen, Marshall, Mille Lacs, Morrison, Otter Tail, Pine, Pope, Ramsey, Roseau, St. Louis, Stearns, Todd, Wabasha, Washington, Wright.

Growing conditions

USDA PLANTS gives Canadian bunchberry a low shade tolerance, low drought tolerance and high moisture use. It is rated for soil pH 5.5 to 6.9 and winter lows down to -28 °F.

Shade tolerance: Low
Drought tolerance: Low
Moisture use: High
Soil textures it is adapted to: medium
Soil pH range: 5.5 to 6.9
Minimum temperature tolerated: -28 °F
Frost-free days needed (minimum): 100
Annual precipitation range: 32 to 50 inches
Minimum root depth: 10 inches
Salinity tolerance: None
Fertility requirement: Medium
Growth rate: Slow
Lifespan: Long
Active growth period: Spring and Summer
Fruit or seed: Red · Summer to Fall
Can be propagated by: bare root, container, cuttings, seed
Commercial availability: Contracting Only

From the USDA PLANTS characteristics data for COCA13. USDA ratings are general guidance for the species, not a guarantee for your garden.

Names, range and relatives

Native status by region (USDA PLANTS): Alaska: Native; Canada: Native; Greenland: Native; Lower 48 states: Native; St. Pierre and Miquelon: Native.

Other scientific names (synonyms in USDA PLANTS): Chamaepericlymenum canadense, Cornella canadensis.

County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 403 counties across 26 states; the most are in Michigan (68), Wisconsin (63), Minnesota (38).

Other Cornus on Bloomipedia (9): Flowering dogwood, Red osier dogwood, Roughleaf dogwood, Alternate-leaved dogwood, Western bunchberry, Silky dogwood, Cornelian cherry, Kousa dogwood, Swedish cornel.

More New Hampshire flowers

Kousa dogwood

Cornus kousa

🌷 Flowering tree

🌷 Grown in New Hampshire gardens

Cornelian cherry

Cornus mas

🌷 Flowering tree

🌷 Grown in New Hampshire gardens

Canada mayflower

Maianthemum canadense

Native

🌼 Blooms in NH: May–June

Sources

USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile COCA13.
iNaturalist, Cornus canadensis: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
Wikipedia, Cornus canadensis (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
State rare and invasive plant lists (15):
Show all 15 state lists
USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
NatureServe Explorer, Cornus canadensis (global and state ranks).
Edibility and toxicity: NC State Extension.
Photo: Laura J. Costello via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.