Family: Rosaceae
Author: L.
Bibliography: Sp. Pl.: 494 (1753)
Year: 1753
Status: accepted
Rank: species
Genus: Rubus
Vegetable: False
Observations: Subarctic & Subalpine Northern Hemisphere
Description
Cloudberry, scientifically named Rubus chamaemorus, is a distinctive and prized plant found predominantly in the subarctic and subalpine regions of the Northern Hemisphere. This perennial herb belongs to the diverse family of Rosaceae, which includes familiar relatives such as roses, strawberries, and raspberries.
Cloudberries are a key component of the flora in cold, boggy environments. Their ability to thrive in such inhospitable conditions speaks to their hardiness and adaptability. The plants are low-growing, typically reaching just 10-25 cm in height. Each plant typically produces a single, white flower, which later transforms into the plant’s most remarkable feature: the bright orange-yellow fruit.
The cloudberry fruit resembles a raspberry in structure, composed of clustered drupelets. When ripe, these berries are a rich golden color and have a distinctly tart flavor, often described as a mix between red currants and blackberries. The fruit is highly esteemed both for its taste and its nutritional value, rich in vitamins C and A, as well as various antioxidants.
Cloudberries hold significant cultural and economic importance in many of the regions where they naturally occur. In Scandinavian countries, for example, they are considered a delicacy and are often used in traditional dishes, jams, and liqueurs. Beyond their culinary uses, cloudberries have also been employed in traditional medicine by various indigenous peoples, valued for their potential health benefits, which include anti-inflammatory and immune-boosting properties.
The plant’s preference for cooler climates and acidic, peaty soils makes its cultivation challenging and somewhat limited to its natural habitats. Efforts to cultivate cloudberries commercially have been pursued, but with varying degrees of success due to their specific growing requirements.
In summary, cloudberries (Rubus chamaemorus) are not only a botanical curiosity but also a nutritional powerhouse with significant cultural importance. Their unique adaptation to the subarctic and subalpine environments underscores the remarkable diversity of the Rosaceae family.
Common Names
Eng: bake-apple, baked-apple-berry, cloudberry, salmonberry, yellow-berry, bakeapple, yellowberry
Deu: moltebeere
Dan: multebær, moltebær
Swe: hjortron, laddoch, latoch, muurain, hilla, lakka
Pol: malina moroszka
Nno: molte
Nob: molte
Nor: moltebær, myrebær
Fin: muurain, hilla, lakka
Fra: chicouté, blackbières, chicoutés, mûres blanches, mûrier nain, plaquebière, plaquebières, plate-bière, ronce mûrier, ronce petit-mûrier
Sme: luomi, láttat
Cym: afal y berwyn, llwyn mwyar y berwyn, miaren gor, miaren y mynydd, mwyar doewan, mwyar gleision, mwyar y berwyn, mwyaren doewan, mwyaren y berwyn
En: Cloudberry, Bake-apple, Baked-apple-berry, Salmonberry, Yellow-berry, Bakeapple, Cloudberries, Lyeme, Baked apple berry, Four-leaved mare’s tail, Yellowberry
Ar: روبوس شاميموروس
Ba: Мораҡ
Be: Марошка
Ca: Móra vermella
Zh: Xing an xuan gou zi, 云莓, 雲莓
Cs: Ostružiník moruška
Da: Moltebeere, Multebær, Moltebær
Nl: Kruipbraam
Eo: Kamemoro
Et: Rabamurakas
Fi: Muurain, Hilla, Lakka, Suomuurain, Muurain, hilla, lakka
Fr: Plaquebière, Chicouté, Blackbières, Chicoutés, Mûres blanches, Mûrier nain, Plaquebières, Plate-bière, Ronce mûrier, Ronce petit-mûrier
Ka: Მიწამაყვალა
De: Moltebeere, Múltuber
Is: Múltuber
Iu: ᐊᖅᐱᒃ
Ik: Aqpik
Ga: Eithreog shléibhe
Kv: Мырпом
Ko: 진들딸기
Lv: Lācene
Lt: Paprastoji tekšė
Se: Luomi, Láttat
No: Multebær, Molte, Multe, Moltebær, Myrebær
Nb: Molte
Nn: Molte
Os: Цъымарайы мæнæргъы
Fa: تمشک شمالی
Pl: Malina moroszka
Pt: Amora-branca-silvestre
Ru: Морошка
Es: Barjanska robida, Mora de los Pantanos
Sv: Hjortron, Laddoch, Latoch, Muurain, hilla, lakka
Zh-tw: 雲莓
Tt: Морак
Zh-hant: 雲莓
Uk: Морошка
Cy: Llwyn mwyar y Berwyn, Afal y Berwyn, Miaren Gor, Miaren y Mynydd, Mwyar Doewan, Mwyar Gleision, Mwyar y Berwyn, Mwyaren Doewan, Mwyaren y Berwyn
Synonyms
- Rubus yessoicus (Kuntze)
- Rubus pseudochamaemorus (Tolm.)
- Chamaemorus norwegica (Clus. ex Greene)
- Chamaemorus norvegicus (Greene)
- Chamaemorus chamaemorus ((L.) House)
- Rubus parapungens (H.Hara)
- Rubus horridulus (Hook.f.)
- Chamaemorus anglica (Clus. ex Greene)
- Rubus ribis-folius (Gilib.)
- Rubus nubis (Gray)
- Rubus pungens var. horridulus (H.Hara)
- Morus norwegica (Tillandz ex Steud.)
- Chamaemorus anglicus (Greene)
- Rubus chamaemorus var. pseudochamaemorus ((Tolm.) Hultén)
Distribution
- Alaska (native)
- Altay (native)
- Amur (native)
- Baltic States (native)
- Belarus (native)
- British Columbia (native)
- Buryatiya (native)
- Central European Rus (native)
- Chita (native)
- Czechoslovakia (native)
- Denmark (native)
- East Himalaya (native)
- Finland (native)
- Germany (native)
- Great Britain (native)
- Greenland (native)
- Ireland (native)
- Irkutsk (native)
- Japan (native)
- Kamchatka (native)
- Khabarovsk (native)
- Korea (native)
- Krasnoyarsk (native)
- Kuril Is. (native)
- Labrador (native)
- Magadan (native)
- Maine (native)
- Manchuria (native)
- Manitoba (native)
- Minnesota (native)
- Mongolia (native)
- New Brunswick (native)
- New Hampshire (native)
- New York (native)
- Newfoundland (native)
- North European Russi (native)
- Northwest European R (native)
- Northwest Territorie (native)
- Norway (native)
- Nova Scotia (native)
- Nunavut (native)
- Ontario (native)
- Poland (native)
- Primorye (native)
- Prince Edward I. (native)
- Québec (native)
- Sakhalin (native)
- Saskatchewan (native)
- Svalbard (native)
- Sweden (native)
- Tuva (native)
- West Siberia (native)
- Yakutskiya (native)
- Yukon (native)
Additional Images
Flower
Taken Jun 7, 2021 by Magnus Puutiainen (cc-by-sa)
Taken Jun 4, 2022 by Vegard Johansen (cc-by-sa)
Taken Apr 16, 2020 by Guillaume Labeyrie (cc-by-sa)
Taken Jul 27, 2021 by Achille444 (cc-by-sa)
Taken Jun 24, 2021 by William boussaton (cc-by-sa)
Leaf
Taken Jul 6, 2022 by Ol TB (cc-by-sa)
Taken Jun 28, 2021 by Nick R (cc-by-sa)
Taken Aug 3, 2018 by Tela Botanica − Alain Bigou (cc-by-sa)
Taken Jun 5, 2022 by Jarle Monstad (cc-by-sa)
Taken Jul 10, 2022 by Kevin Sartori (cc-by-sa)
Fruit
Taken Jul 31, 2022 by Julio Pascual (cc-by-sa)
Taken Aug 12, 2021 by Kali Cloe (cc-by-sa)
Taken Aug 12, 2021 by Kali Cloe (cc-by-sa)
Taken Jul 16, 2022 by Sergej Larsson (cc-by-sa)
Taken Aug 12, 2021 by Kali Cloe (cc-by-sa)
Habit
Taken Jul 15, 2015 by Photoflora – Benoit BOCK (©)
Taken Jul 15, 2015 by Photoflora – Benoit BOCK (©)
Taken Aug 17, 2020 by Hayden churchill (cc-by-sa)
Taken Jul 3, 2021 by keili koppel (cc-by-sa)
Taken Jul 31, 2022 by Shiran B (cc-by-sa)
© copyright of the Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
© copyright of the Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
© copyright of the Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
Sources
- WFO (No URL)
- IPNI (No URL)
- GBIF (https://www.gbif.org/species/2998290)
- POWO (http://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:735780-1)
- PlantNet (https://identify.plantnet.org/species/the-plant-list/Rubus chamaemorus L.)
Specifications
Growth form: Thicket Forming
Growth habit: Subshrub, Forb/herb
Growth rate: Rapid
Growth
Ph maximum: 5.2
Ph minimum: 4.0