Cloudberries (Rubus chamaemorus) are amber-colored fruits that resemble raspberries or blackberries. These low-growing herbaceous perennials are valued for their distinctive taste, often described as a blend of sweet, tart, and floral notes with hints of raspberry, mango, or apricot. When ripe, they are soft and juicy, transitioning from an initial pale red to a golden-yellow hue. Beyond their culinary appeal in jams, desserts, and liqueurs, cloudberries are also rich in vitamin C.
Native Regions
Cloudberries thrive in cool temperate, alpine, and Arctic tundra regions across the Northern Hemisphere. Their distribution is circumpolar, stretching from approximately 78°N south to about 55°N, with scattered occurrences extending to 44°N in mountainous areas and moorlands.
In North America, cloudberries grow wild across Greenland, most of northern Canada, and Alaska. Specific Canadian regions include:
Newfoundland
Labrador
Quebec
British Columbia
Manitoba
New Brunswick
Nova Scotia
The Northwest Territories
Nunavut
Ontario
Prince Edward Island
Saskatchewan
Yukon
In the United States, besides Alaska, they can be found in northern Minnesota, New Hampshire, Maine, and historically, New York, though their presence in New York is now rare.
Across Europe, cloudberries are common in the Nordic countries, including Finland, Sweden, and Norway. They also exist, though rarely, in the Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, as well as Poland. The English Pennines and Scottish Highlands host populations, with a single site in the Sperrin Mountains of Northern Ireland. Further east, they span northern Russia towards the Pacific Ocean, reaching as far south as Hokkaido, Japan.
Ideal Growing Conditions
Cloudberries require specific environmental conditions. These plants require cold temperatures and a short growing season, thriving between 12-20°C (54-68°F) from late spring to early autumn. They are resilient, adapted to survive temperatures ranging from -40°F to 68°F.
The soil type is important; cloudberries prefer acidic, boggy, peaty, and often nutrient-poor environments. They grow well in peat bogs, marshes, wet meadows, and tundra, with an optimal soil pH range between 3.5 and 5.0. Consistent moisture is essential; they require damp but not waterlogged conditions to thrive, often found in areas with a stable groundwater level around 30 cm. While they prefer full to partial sun, they can tolerate some shade. During the summer months, they benefit from long daylight hours, often experiencing continuous sunlight, which maximizes their photosynthetic efficiency.
Scarcity and Protection
Cloudberries are rare due to their limited geographical range and specific habitat requirements. Unlike many cultivated fruits, cloudberries are primarily wild-harvested, making their availability dependent on natural yields, which can fluctuate year to year due to weather conditions like frost or heavy rains. Their delicate nature means ripe berries are too soft for long-distance transport, leading to high prices for preserves or extracts outside their native regions.
Commercial cultivation of cloudberries is challenging due to their specific growth requirements and dioecious nature, as both male and female plants are needed for fruit production. Despite these difficulties, efforts are underway to cultivate them, with selected cultivars like ‘Apolto’ (male) and ‘Fjellgull’ (female) becoming available to farmers since 2002. In some Nordic countries, regulations exist regarding cloudberry harvesting, with common-use policies allowing personal foraging but restricting commercial transport without local residency. Conservation efforts focus on protecting their natural habitats, which are vulnerable to climate change and human activities like peat extraction, ensuring the continued existence of this valued northern fruit.