Cranberry (American)

Vaccinium macrocarpon · Heath family (Ericaceae)

At a glance
Hardiness zones	3 to 7
Sun	full sun
Water	high
Life cycle	perennial
Frost	Hardy: takes frost
Soil pH	4.0–5.2

About Cranberry (American)

The American cranberry is a native, low evergreen that spreads by trailing runners and bears tart red berries in fall. Farms grow it in sandy beds that can be flooded, but a home bed can work if the soil is very acid, sandy and evenly moist. NC State calls it a high-maintenance plant that dislikes heat and drought.

NC State lists zones 3-7 and notes it is intolerant of heat and drought.

When to plant

Timing is counted from your average last spring frost (and first fall frost). Sow & Tell works out the actual dates for your ZIP code.

Commercial beds are started from unrooted cuttings (University of Maine); rooted plants are hard to transplant (NC State). In year one the vines send out foot-long runners, by year two they cover the bed, a first crop comes in year three and a fair-to-good crop in year four (University of Maine).

Soil

Very acid, sandy soil over a layer that slows drainage; Maine growers put at least 4 inches of coarse sand over peat, clay or packed loam and keep it moist but not waterlogged (University of Maine). High pH causes yellow, chlorotic leaves (NC State).

Build the bed on a base that slows drainage (peat, clay or packed loam) and top it with at least 4 inches of coarse sand at a pH of about 4.0-5.0 (University of Maine).

Feeding

First year: every 2-3 weeks after planting, until mid-August: nitrogen fertilizer, applied in small doses. Light, frequent feedings; Maine's commercial rate is only 5-10 lb of nitrogen per acre each time, so use very little and follow a soil test.

Keep new beds moist but not soggy; standing puddles hurt root growth (University of Maine). A pH that is too high turns leaves yellow (NC State).

Harvest

Berries ripen red from late summer to mid-fall (NC State); the fresh crop is in season from October through December (Penn State). Pick firm, glossy, fully red berries.

Cranberries give one harvest each fall; a new bed gives some fruit in its third fall and a fair to good crop in the fourth.

Varieties (19)

Variety	Type	Notes
Grygleski Hybrid 1	Grower selection (Wisconsin)	Large berries that color early. Crops regularly.
Ben Lear	Native selection	Large berries that color early and deeply. Moderate yields; stores poorly and needs careful management.
Early Black	Native selection	Berries color early. Grows on many soil types but yields less than newer types; more prone to fruit rot than Howes or Stevens.
Howes	Native selection	Glossy, well-colored berries of very good quality. Berries resist frost; better rot resistance than Early Black.
McFarlin	Native selection	Good fruit quality. Frost-resistant berries; about as productive as Howes.
Searles	Native selection	Fruit quality rated poor to fair. Perhaps the most productive of the old cultivated cranberries.
Crimson Queen	Rutgers hybrid	Large, deeply colored berries. Establishes quickly with vigorous growth; out-yields Stevens.
Demoranville	Rutgers hybrid	Large, deeply colored berries of high overall quality. Establishes quickly with vigorous growth; steady high yields in New Jersey and Wisconsin trials.
Haines	Rutgers hybrid	Large, round berries with even, moderate color. Steady high yields and less fruit rot than Stevens.
Mullica Queen	Rutgers hybrid	Medium color. Coarse vines with high yield potential and many flower buds.
Scarlet Knight	Rutgers hybrid	Large, round, dark red berries (about 2.4 g) that are sweeter and less acidic than most. High yields (about 300 barrels per acre); uniform color and long shelf life.
Vasanna	Rutgers hybrid	Large berries of varied shape with moderate color. Very high yields (over 500 barrels per acre in British Columbia and Wisconsin) and low fruit rot.
Welker	Rutgers hybrid	Uniform, moderately to highly colored berries about 2 g each. Very high yield potential; bears heavily within about 3 years. Early bloom means rot control must be timely.
Franklin	USDA hybrid (1950)	Good color. High resistance to false blossom disease.
Pilgrim	USDA hybrid (1950)	Large berries that color late. Yields well and resists false blossom disease, but stores poorly and needs good management.
Stevens	USDA hybrid (1950)	Large berries with fair color. Vigorous, forgiving vines with steady yields year to year; keeps well and resists fruit rot better than Early Black.
Wilcox	USDA hybrid (1950)	Small berries with poor color. High yields in Wisconsin trials.
HyRed	Wisconsin hybrid	Berries over 1.5 g with much deeper red color than Stevens; sugar and acid similar to standard types. Vigorous vines with yields on par with standard varieties.
Sundance	Wisconsin hybrid	Larger berries, useful for sweetened dried cranberries.

Diseases and problems

Iron chlorosis

In the kitchen

Cranberries are rich in natural pectin and acid, so they gel easily in sauces, jams, conserves, salsas and chutneys; they can also be canned, frozen or dried, and keep about a month in the refrigerator (Penn State).

Keeping it: Fresh cranberries keep about two weeks in the fridge, and up to four in the crisper. Bags can go straight into the freezer for up to a year.

Safety: Cranberry is generally considered safe in food amounts, but very large amounts can cause stomach upset and diarrhea, especially in young children (NCCIH). Evidence on an interaction with warfarin is mixed, so people on warfarin should ask their doctor; food amounts seem fine in pregnancy and breastfeeding, but larger doses are not well studied (NCCIH).

Pets: Not listed as toxic by the ASPCA

Sources

Photo: Photo: Rob Routledge, Sault College, Bugwood.org / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0 US (CC BY 3.0 US). Photo resized for the web.

Planting dates and advice are general guidance; check with your local Cooperative Extension office for your area.