Flower profile

Canadian bunchberry

Cornus canadensis

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 7 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in May–July.

29states

7of our state lists

29,593U.S. sightings*

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

On our lists for: 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 109 flowers on our New Hampshire list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 6,071 research-grade sightings of it in Maine, ranking #2 among the 110 flowers on our Maine list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 3,611 research-grade sightings of it in Minnesota, ranking #17 among the 110 flowers on our Minnesota list. ^iNaturalist

Canadian bunchberry gift ideas

Handmade canadian bunchberry gifts from independent makers.

🌱 Sample spot. Handmade gift picks from independent shops will appear here once our shop partnership is approved. These cards are placeholders, not real products.

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Canadian bunchberry art print
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Canadian bunchberry mug
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When does it bloom?

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

Bloom time in each of our 7 states

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

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
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}
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.

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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.

More New Hampshire flowers

Red osier dogwood

Cornus sericea

Native

🌼 Blooms: April–August

Alternate-leaved dogwood

Cornus alternifolia

Native

🌼 Blooms: April–June

Canada mayflower

Maianthemum canadense

Native

🌼 Blooms in NH: May–July

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).
New Hampshire: New Hampshire Official Rare Plants List (Ncr 312, eff. Jan 1, 2020).
New Hampshire: NH Prohibited Invasive Species List (Agr 3800, Table 3800.1).
Maine: 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.
Maine: Maine Do Not Sell invasive plant list (01-001 C.M.R. ch. 273).
Minnesota: Minnesota endangered, threatened and special concern plants (Minn. R. 6134.0300).
Minnesota: Minnesota Noxious Weed List (Minn. Stat. § 18.79; Minnesota Department of Agriculture, updated January 2026).
Michigan: Michigan endangered and threatened plants (Mich. Admin. Code R 299.1028, eff. March 20, 2023).
Michigan: Michigan prohibited and restricted species (NREPA Part 413 and the 2026 Invasive Species Order), as listed by Michigan's Invasive Species Program.
Vermont: Endangered and Threatened Plants of Vermont (10 V.S.A. chap. 123; list of Feb 10, 2022).
Vermont: Vermont Quarantine List, Regulated Introduced Plant Species Rule (eff. June 16, 2026).
New York: New York protected native plants (6 NYCRR § 193.3).
New York: New York prohibited and regulated invasive species (6 NYCRR Part 575).
Wisconsin: Wisconsin endangered and threatened species list (Wis. Admin. Code NR 27.03).
Wisconsin: Wisconsin invasive species rule (Wis. Admin. Code NR 40.04 prohibited, NR 40.05 restricted).
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.