Partridge Berry Mitchella repens L.
Partridge Berry is one of the plants I knew as a child; I remember my father identifying it for me. It’s a trailing vine, and an evergreen that’s a native all over New England, and the Eastern half of the U.S. and Canada. The leaves are glossy, small and dark green with, sometimes, a lighter green line down their center. Look for Partridge Berry in partial shade, under the cover of trees of evergreens, or near boggy ground. The berries are a bright red, and devoured by birds, particularly grouse. The bright red berries and green leaves survive even after it snows, providing food when other plants are barren. It’s a great ground cover in terms of landscaping since it readily spreads it’s trailing stems and leaves (the repens of the botanical name Mitchella repens L. means “trailing”). As the stem branches out, closely hugging the ground, individual leaves will send out roots.
Partridge Berry is a member of the Madder family. Each berry is formed by two flowers, which is the onomastic link for Partridge Berry’s other name, Twin Berry. The flowers bloom in spring, and are small, white, and fuzzy. Each pair of flowers share a single calyx or ovary, and produce a single red berry, marked by two small dark spots, the remainders of the two blossoms. The pairs of flowers have two forms; one with a short pistil and long stamens. The other form has a long pistil and short stamens. This prevents self-fertilization. Both flowers in a pair must be pollinated in order to produce fruit.