DESCRIPTION:
NAME: American Highbush Cranberry
OTHER COMMON NAMES: Cranberrybush Viburnum / American Cranberrybush / High Bush Cranberry
SCIENTIFIC NAME: Viburnum Trilobum / Viburnum Opulus var. Americanum
COLOR: White Flowers / Red Fruit
PLANT SEEDS: Summer / Fall Sow / Cold Stratify
BLOOM TIME: Spring
HARVEST: Fall
HARDINESS ZONE: 2 - 8
PLANT HEIGHT: 10 - 15'
PLANT SPACING: 10 - 15'
LIGHT REQUIREMENTS: Sun - Part Shade
SOIL & WATER PREFERENCES: Average - Moist
QUANTITY: 20 Seeds
OTHER: The American Highbush Cranberry is a shrub native to the northern US & parts of Canada. It has beautiful flowers, delicious fruit, & wonderful foliage.
The white 3 – 5” clusters of flowers will bloom in the spring for nearly a month putting on a lovely show. It is a larval host plant for the Spring Azure butterfly, whose photo I have included above because they too are beautiful. By August, the flowers will have become showy red berries that are very ornamental, & they will often stay on into the winter, adding some color to the landscape. Birds & other woodland creatures love to eat the berries, making this a wonderful choice for wildlife gardens. The berried branches are also used in holiday décor like wreaths & garlands.
Although they are called a “Cranberry”, the fruit is not actually a cranberry. At least not “that cranberry”. They are called so because their red berries have the same appearance, similar taste, & mature at the same time of year. The fruit of Viburnum Trilobum grows in clusters, & each berry measures about 1/3” wide. They can be enjoyed fresh (raw), made into jellies, sauces, or in any way you would use a cranberry. They are tart without being bitter, & are high in Vitamin C.
The Highbush Cranberry has interesting patterned scaly bark with arching branches that are a reddish brown tone. Its leaves are similar to those of a maple, & they turn out in great fall colors ranging from yellows & peaches to reds & purples. This shrub is very cold hardy, & is perennial all the way down to Zone 2. They prefer moist soil, but can tolerate soil that is sandy or heavy clay. These shrubs grow about 3’ a year. They make a wonderful specimen plant, look wonderful in groups, & can make an effective border or screen.
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