Mitchella repens (Partridgeberry)

Plant Info
Also known as: Two-eyed Berry, Twin Berry
Genus:Mitchella
Family:Rubiaceae (Madder)
Life cycle:perennial
Origin:native
Habitat:part shade, sun; average to moist soil; deciduous and mixed woods, rocky slopes, shady ravines, swamp and bog edges
Bloom season:June - July
Plant height:4 to 12 inches
Wetland Indicator Status:GP: FAC MW: FACU NCNE: FACU
MN county distribution (click map to enlarge):Minnesota county distribution map
National distribution (click map to enlarge):National distribution map

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Detailed Information

Flower: Flower shape: 4-petals Flower shape: tubular

[photo of flowers with long stamens] A pair of flowers at the end of a long, trailing stem, each up to ~½ inch (10 to 14 mm) long, white to pinkish, with a long slender tube and typically 4 pointed flaring lobes, rarely with 3, 5 or 6 lobes. The inner surfaces of the flower are densely covered in white hairs. Flowers have 2 forms on different plants (heterostylic), one with 4 long white to pinkish stamens and a short pistil hidden in the tube.

[photo of flowers with long pistils] The second form has a long white pistil with the stamens hidden in the tube. In both cases, the ovaries of the paired flowers are fused at the base so a single fruit with 2 “eyes” develops. The flowers share a stalk that is short and hairless.

Leaves and stem: Leaf attachment: opposite Leaf type: simple

[photo of leaves] Leaves are opposite, evergreen, up to ~¾ inch (1 to 2 cm) long, egg-shaped to nearly round, rounded at the tip and base, on a short stalk. Edges are toothless; surfaces are hairless, the upper surface often shiny dark green, the prominent midrib noticeably paler. Stems are slender, smooth, trailing to slightly ascending, rooting at the nodes and forming large mats. Individual stems can be up to 12 inches long.

Fruit: Fruit type: berry/drupe

[photo of fruit] The pair of flowers produce a single bright red berry ~1/3 inch (5 to 8 mm) diameter, containing 8 seeds.

Notes:

Partridgeberry reaches the northwestern end of its range in Minnesota, where it is typically found in moist deciduous or mixed woodlands. It is not common to run across and, like many wildflowers, the bloom period is relatively short. It is not one of those species you go looking for but rather an unexpected, and happy, happenstance when you do encounter it. Plants with big and showy flowers can be impressive but tiny and exquisite flowers like these are simply delightful.

When flowering there is no mistaking it, but when flowers are not present, the mat-forming growth of small leaves with bright red berries somewhat resembles certain members of the Ericaceae (Heath) family, notably Bearberry (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi) and Wintergreen (Gaultheria procumbens), both of which have alternate leaves where Patridgeberry's are opposite. It is readily available in the garden trade, commonly promoted as a ground cover, though it is slow-growing so patience is warranted.

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More photos

Photos by Peter M. Dziuk taken in Anoka and Washington counties.

Comments

Have you seen this plant in Minnesota, or have any other comments about it?

Posted by: David - Willam O'Brien State Park, Marine on St. Croix
on: 2015-08-24 10:24:35

There was a patch about 15' by 10' near the Riverside Trail.

Posted by: Karen Schik
on: 2020-04-21 08:16:58

Very abundant at Straight Lake Park in WI

Posted by: Frank@mound - Maple Plain
on: 2021-02-22 11:50:36

I believe we have this (can it be confused with anything else?) growing in our Maple-Basswood mixed (oaks declining) woods. it grows in two spots. At the edge of a slope where red oaks have been succumbing to wilt and falling and another spot, just below the road, on a slope, under mature oaks. Less of a patch, it is spreading in linear manner out from a center. The one spot is total shade, the other gets sun now due to fallen oaks. That spot has introduced invasives and natives growing in the new found sun.

Posted by: K. Chayka
on: 2021-02-22 15:44:12

Frank, if you've seen any flowers or fruits that would confirm the ID. If you're correct, that would be a new county record and a specimen should be collected for the Bell Herbarium.

Posted by: Frank@mound - Maple Plain
on: 2021-03-12 15:41:37

Well, sad, but I believe I finally got an ID on this woodland plant -I think its Euonymus fortunei, and I will now have to pull it along with everything else. Never ending. I pulled buckthorn today and I found the said plant to be growing almost too comfortably with the buckthorn. So there you have it.

Posted by: Brett W - NE Anoka County
on: 2021-07-10 16:10:33

Found a nice size patch in the Linwood Lake Public Boat Access area.

Posted by: Sharon - Sandstone
on: 2022-07-02 14:14:25

Was surprised to find this unknown-to-me plant in bloom along the Wolf Creek Trail at Banning State Park.

Posted by: Barb Spears - Savanna Portage State Park, Aitkin County
on: 2023-10-03 08:09:37

Unsure. Loaded pics in iNaturalist and that's the closest plant ID. Found along the trail around Loon Lake. I assumed it was common because of it's location along the trail, so didn't do a thorough ID.

Posted by: K Chayka
on: 2023-10-03 09:24:49

Barb, partridgeberry is known to be in that area so that could well be what you encountered. Someone in the iNat community should be able to verify it, or suggest a different ID.

Posted by: Daniel J. Bera - Hines
on: 2024-08-07 21:17:31

found a few healthy plants along the interpretive loop at Neilson Spearhead Center.

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