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Plants of Alone · № 30

Northern Labrador Plant Field Guide

Plants of Big River / Nunatsiavut, Northern Labrador — subarctic trees, edibles, toxics and traditional-use species.

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Northern Labrador Plant Field Guide cover№ 30
Region
Northern Labrador (S9)
Country
Canada
Continent
North America
Season
Alone Season 9
File size
1,012 KB(1.0 MB)
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About this region

Cool subarctic maritime — long cold winters, cool short summers, heavy coastal fog and wind.

The Big River region of Northern Labrador is a mosaic of black spruce forest, dwarf birch tundra, coastal bog, and rocky headland. Growth is slow, canopies are short, and edge habitats matter more than in richer boreal country.

Wild foods lean heavily on hardy tundra berries — bakeapple (cloudberry), crowberry, partridgeberry, and blueberry — plus Labrador tea and small quantities of edible greens along seep and shore margins.

Habitats

  • Stunted black spruce forest

    Dense, low black spruce with thick lichen and Sphagnum floor.

  • Dwarf birch and heath tundra

    Ground-hugging birch, crowberry, and Labrador tea on exposed ridges.

  • Coastal bogs and fens

    Bakeapple, cotton grass, and pitcher plant on saturated peat.

  • Rocky coastline

    Beach pea, roseroot, and lichen-dominated headlands.

Notable species

  • Black sprucePicea mariana

    Tree

  • Bakeapple (cloudberry)Rubus chamaemorus

    Edible

  • CrowberryEmpetrum nigrum

    Edible

  • PartridgeberryVaccinium vitis-idaea

    Edible

  • Labrador teaRhododendron groenlandicum

    Medicinal

  • RoserootRhodiola rosea

    Edible

  • Water hemlockCicuta virosa

    Toxic

Topics

  • labrador
  • big river
  • nunatsiavut
  • subarctic
  • crowberry
  • bakeapple
  • black spruce

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