Corema album aka Corema Album

Corema album, or Portuguese crowberry, is a small evergreen shrub. Kew places it in the heath family, Ericaceae. Its native range covers the Iberian Peninsula and the Azores. It is not native to Britain or Ireland. In the wild, it grows on Atlantic coastal sands and dunes. Kew describes its climate as subtropical and its form as a subshrub. These records place it in a mild, coastal setting.

Plants For A Future gives a height of 1 foot [0.3 metres]. The shrub keeps its leaves throughout the year. Male and female flowers grow on separate plants. A lone plant cannot set fruit through self-fertilisation. Grow both sexes where fruit or seed is the aim. The fruit is edible, either fresh or cooked. Plants For A Future gives its food value a low rating. Its account does not describe the fruit's taste or size.

Give this shrub a lime-free soil that drains well. Sandy soil and loam both suit it. It accepts mildly acid soil and can also grow in very acid soil. Choose full sun or a spot with light shade. The soil may be dry or moist. Plants For A Future reports good growth in sandy peat near London. Suggested garden sites include planted beds and the sunny edge of woodland. Its small size suits the front of a bed.

Cold limits where gardeners can grow this species outdoors. Plants For A Future reports tolerance of about −5 to −10°C. It warns that the shrub is unsuitable for colder British areas. The same source lists USDA zones 7–10. Take these broad limits alongside the stated minimum temperatures. It lists no known hazards, medicinal uses, or other uses. That lack of reported hazards does not establish safety for pets. It also records no weed potential.

Fresh seed is best sown when ripe in a cold frame. Stored seed needs five months of warm treatment before three months at 5°C. Move seedlings into separate pots once they are large enough. Keep them in a greenhouse through at least their first winter. Plant them out in late spring or early summer, after frost risk passes. Half-ripe cuttings can be taken in July or August. Mature cuttings from the current year's growth can be taken in November. Both cutting methods use a frame.