A colonial plant, it has woody stems. Leaves are whorled in sixes about the stem, with a pair of smaller leaves below. Flowers are tiny and yellow and surrounded by four white petallike bracts. Flowers in June. Fruit is a tight cluster of bright red berries. Each berry has a large seed.

Common throughout

Tasteless raw

4 cups bunchberries, 1/2 cup water. Boil, mash and sieve pulp. Return to pot. 1/4 cup sugar, 1/2 teaspoon. salt, 1 teaspoon. cinnamon, 1 tablespoon lemon juice and a dash of nutmeg. Heat and serve with pork, or cold over ice cream.