American Cranberrybush

General 
Scientific Name: Viburnum opulus var. americanum (formerly V. trilobum) 
Family: Adoxaceae (Moschatel) 
Hardiness: Zone 2 
Leaves: Deciduous 
Plant Type: Shrub 

Growth 
Rate: Medium 
Mature Height: >7’ 
Longevity: Medium 
Power Line: Yes 

Ornamental 
Flowers: White 
Fruit: Red 
Fall Color: Red

American cranberrybush (also known as highbush cranberry) is native to swampy woods, bogs, lake margins, pastures, thickets, slopes and moist low places from New Brunswick to British Columbia south to New York, the Great Lakes, South Dakota and Oregon. It is a large, leggy, poorly branched shrub that is typically found in wooded, usually moist areas. In cultivation it may assume a fully-branched, reasonably dense form. Excellent orange-red fall color and red fruits.

Light: Full sun to part shade. 
Water: Medium. 
Soil: Tolerates a wide range of soils.

A wide selection of cultivars are available in a variety of forms in the nursery industry. Berries are edible and can be eaten straight off the plant or used in jams or jellies. A spring blooming plant, American cranberrybush should be pruned after blooming in order to ensure more flowers next year.

Photo Credit:

Joseph Zeleznik, Ph.D., Extension Forester

American Cranberrybush

Photo Credit:

Joseph Zeleznik, Ph.D., Extension Forester

American Cranberrybush

Photo Credit:

Joseph Zeleznik, Ph.D., Extension Forester

American Cranberrybush