New for 2021: Partridgeberry

Partridgeberry is one of the low evergreen vines that cover the forest floor in northern woods. It can easily be distinguished from Twinflower, Trailing Arbutus, and Wintergreen by the distinct pale midrib down the centre of each leaf. Although Partridgeberry comes into its own in damp conifer woods, it is also found in mixed forests, which suggests it is not quite as dependent on strongly acidic soils as the others.

Beaux Arbres expects to have Partridgeberry plants available in the spring. Last summer, when walking through the woods of our good friend on the next concession, I came across an enormous, dense patch of Partridgeberry, forming a thick and extensive ground cover. I had never seen such a lush display of this plant and it required that I re-evaluate my opinion of Partridgeberry’s potential value in the garden. Margaret generously allowed me to take cuttings from this patch (which didn’t make the slightest dent in its abundance) and as soon as they are well rooted, I will offer them for sale.

I prefer to grow from seeds, which creates genetic diversity, but for a few of the sprawling woodlanders, which are slow from seed but easy from cuttings, it is just more practical to propagate from cuttings. Creeping Snowberry is another little evergreen that is much easier from cuttings. If I can ever offer the handsome Pipsissewa (Chimaphila umbellata) — a long-term goal, not imminent — it will have been propagated from rooted offsets, as this glossy evergreen ground cover plant is impossible to grow from seeds in cultivation.

Although only a mile away from us, the headwater wetland in the woods behind Margaret’s farm is wetter and more acidic than almost anywhere on our farm. Some beautiful little plants, such as Bunchberry and Trailing Arbutus, flourish there, but the cold, organic, acidic conditions gives us clues as to why these lovely plants can be challenging to establish in urban gardens.

Feature photo, of Partridgeberry, above: Ryan Hodnett, via Wikimedia Commons