Cornus unalaschkensis

Bunchberry, Bunchberry

Family: Cornaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 2B.2

Bunchberry is a rare (CNPS 2B.2) California native perennial found in northwestern California in moist forests and bogs at elevations of 60 to 1,920 meters. Flowering from May to July, this plant produces white to yellow flowers in small clusters with 4 showy white bracts surrounding the delicate bloom. Growing with short stems less than 20 centimeters tall, it spreads through underground rhizomes and typically features a distinctive whorl of 4 to 6 leaves. Its leaves are elliptic to obovate, measuring 2.5 to 7 centimeters long and ranging from glabrous to slightly hairy. The fruit is a bright red spherical berry approximately 8 millimeters in diameter with a smooth stone.

Habitat: Moist forest, bogs

Bloom period: May-Jul

Elevation: 60-1920 m

Bioregions: NW

California counties: Mendocino, Humboldt, Siskiyou

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.