Hello!

Festive reds and greens are everywhere this time of year, including the forest floor. Partridgeberry (Mitchella repens), a diminutive subshrub groundcover native to the eastern United States, has evergreen leaves with lighter green veins and small red berries. The berries ripen in the fall and persist all winter long, becoming food for grouse, bobwhite quail, turkeys, raccoons, skunks, deer, and red foxes.

While Partridgeberry is a vine, it isn’t a climber. Instead, it rambles along the ground, sprouting roots into the soil. In the spring to early summer, Partridgeberry blooms. Each stem produces two bell-shaped white flowers, both of which need to be pollinated to produce a single berry. This is why the ripe berry has two dark red spots on it—remnants of its fertilization.

Growing Partridgeberry at Home

While Partridgeberry is a familiar sight in the woods, you might also spot it at native and specialty nurseries. It’s usually sold in pots after being propagated vegetatively because seeds germinate unpredictably. Often, its seeds will sprout after one season of cold temperatures, but sometimes it takes two (so, not a great business plan). It requires a shady spot but will tolerate a bit of morning sun, and prefers rich, composty soil. Because this plant is delicate, you’ll want to place it where you’ll see it, along a border or near a walkway. It will brighten up the winter whites and grays!

A Partridgeberry Jam Mystery

And now for some fact-checking. As I was researching, I found that Partridgeberry was edible, but had an unremarkable flavor. While indigenous peoples used it for an array of medicinal and ceremonial applications, there were very few mentions of anyone cooking with it. However, the USDA Forest Service suggested that it was a popular jam in Newfoundland!

I wondered what ingredients they used to make this bland berry taste good…and it turns out they use Vaccinium vitis-idaea, or Lingonberries. Apparently, Partridgeberry is what they all call Lingonberries in Newfoundland and Labrador, where the scarce Mitchella repens operates under the alias Two-eyed Berry. I followed the Forest Service’s source, and it looks like the reference book they used confused the common names. Yet another lesson learned about using botanical names (as in, always use them)!

Elsewhere: 2026 Calendars for Sale!

This year, I created a 2026 Native Perennial Calendar. Each month features a color photograph of a native flower (taken by yours truly) and a fun fact. It’s made from scratch here at home (err, headquarters), so any imperfections are proof of its one-of-a-kind handcrafted origins. Each calendar costs $15, and shipping or local delivery is free! Order one here.

Have a great week,

Julie