{"id":184,"date":"2010-01-28T16:18:17","date_gmt":"2010-01-28T21:18:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/extension.umaine.edu\/cranberries\/?page_id=184"},"modified":"2025-06-18T23:30:29","modified_gmt":"2025-06-18T23:30:29","slug":"highbush-cranberry","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/extension.umaine.edu\/cranberries\/highbush-cranberry\/","title":{"rendered":"Highbush Cranberry (not a true cranberry)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Viburnum opulus<\/em> var. americanum L. Ait <\/em>(formerly known as Viburnum trilobum<\/em>)<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Quick Links:<\/strong> FAQs<\/a> || Plant Description<\/a> || Insect Pests<\/a> || Pruning<\/a><\/p>\n

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Some Other Common Names:<\/strong> American cranberrybush, guelder rose, dog rowan, *European cranberry tree, marsh alder, rose elder, red elder, water elder, dog elder, gatten tree, whitten tree, ople tree, snowball tree, crampbark<\/p>\n

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Highbush Cranberry – Viburnum opulus<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Introduction<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The highbush cranberry is actually not a cranberry at all, though its fruit, or ‘drupes’ as they are known taxonomically, strongly resemble cranberries in both appearance and taste. They also mature in the fall, as cranberries do. The two plants are quite different, however. Both are native to North America, but the highbush cranberry is a Viburnum<\/em>, a member of the Caprifoliaceae, or Honeysuckle family<\/strong>, in contrast to the \u2018true,\u2019 or lowbush cranberry<\/strong>, which is a Vaccinium<\/em>, a member of the Ericaceae\u2014Heather or Heath\u2014family. The Honeysuckle family is comprised of about 400 species, with 11 tree species\u2014and numerous shrub species\u2014that are native to North America. They are located mostly in north temperate regions and in tropical mountains.\u00a0 In North America, the highbush cranberry stretches from British Columbia east to Newfoundland, south to Washington state and east to northern Virginia, with an isolated population in New Mexico. According to the Natural Resources Conservation Service, the highbush cranberry is listed as \u2018endangered\u2019 in Indiana, \u2018threatened\u2019 in Ohio, and \u2018rare\u2019 in Pennsylvania.
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\"An<\/a>
An American Highbush cranberry tree in southeastern Minnesota<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Plant Description<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Grows in hardiness Zones 2 through 7. Considered a large and hardy deciduous shrub with a moderate growth rate of up to 3 ft. per year, the plant is typically 8 to 15 feet tall by 8 to 10 feet wide, with arching stems and a very dense, rounded form, making it a popular landscaping choice for use as a screening hedge [For a solid screen, plants should be spaced 2 to 3 ft. apart.]. It is noted for attracting wildlife, especially birds which benefit from the fruit, which can remain on the branches well into mid winter.\u00a0 It is tolerant of frost, likes sun or semi-shade, and is successful in most soil types but does best in well-drained, moist soil that is rich and loamy.\u00a0 Established plants can tolerate drought, but they are helped by supplemental watering during such periods.<\/p>\n

\"Highbush<\/a>Leaves:<\/strong> Opposite, simple, 3-lobed and 2 to 4 inches long. They are superficially similar to many maple leaves, but have a somewhat wrinkled surface and impressed venation.\u00a0 They are glossy dark green in the summer but often change to yellow-red or red-purple in the fall. The petiole is grooved and has round, raised glands near the base.<\/p>\n

\"photo<\/a>Flowers:<\/strong> It produces flat-top clusters of showy white flowers in June. The clusters are 2 to 3 inches across, with an outer ring of larger, sterile flowers. The flowers are hermaphrodite (having both male and female organs) and are therefore self-fertile, meaning that an individual plant’s flowers can pollinate one another, so there is no need for a second type (or even a second individual plant) to provide pollen and produce fruit. The flowers are pollinated by both wind and insects.<\/p>\n

\"photo<\/a>Fruit:<\/strong> Nearly round drupe (drupe: a fleshy fruit with a central stonelike core containing one or more seeds) about 1\/3 inch diameter with a single large seed, bright red, juicy and quite acid, like a cranberry.\u00a0 The seeds ripen from August to September. It does not begin to produce fruit until approximately five years of age.<\/p>\n

Edible Qualities:<\/strong> The fruits\/drupes can be eaten raw (though not very tasty that way) or cooked, and like cranberries, they are rich in vitamin C and so have a tart, acid taste (the taste is best after a frost and when picked slightly under-ripe). They are an excellent substitute for cranberries and are likewise used in preserves, jams\/jellies, sauces, etc., which make delicious condiments for meat and game. The jam reportedly has a very pleasant flavor. ‘Wentworth’, ‘Andrews’, and ‘Hahs’ are three varieties that are examples of the better-tasting, American form (americanum<\/em>) versus the European form (see note below). And, how does a glass of juice made with highbush cranberries sound to you?<\/strong>\u00a0 Check out this delicious-sounding recipe courtesy of EdibleWildFood.com.<\/a><\/p>\n

*Please Note:<\/strong> There is also a European form (species or possibly subspecies) of highbush cranberry (Viburnum opulus<\/em>) that is described as having inedible\/bitter fruit. If you wish to eat the fruit, make sure you plant the true North American species,\u00a0 Viburnum opulus<\/em> var. americanum<\/em>. You will often see “highbush cranberry” listed for sale under its old name, Viburnum trilobum<\/em>, so many people have had the unfortunate experience of discovering that what they purchased was the European form when they were hoping for the American form.\u00a0 It may also be worth noting that the European form (opulus<\/em>) is widely naturalized in central Maine, and a trusted source has written to say that he finds that one–at least in central Maine–more often than he finds the native (americanum<\/em>) form!\u00a0 If you are wondering whether or not there is a way to tell the difference between the two types (without the need to taste the fruit), then check out the 3rd bullet in the FAQs section below.
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Insect Pests:<\/strong> Reported to have very few insect problems overalll, but one insect in particular\u2014the Viburnum Leaf Beetle<\/strong> (Pyrrhalta viburni<\/em> P.)\u2014is capable of completely defoliating highbush cranberry stands (complete defoliation has been seen before in Maine–see photos below). Both the larvae and adults of the beetle feed on the leaves, severely skeletonizing them. The trees can survive this injury, however, and can go on to leaf out normally again the following year. Severe damage inflicted yearly, however, will kill the tree.\u00a0 The Viburnum leaf beetle was introduced from Europe, and in fact the first North American populations of the beetle were discovered on European highbush cranberry plantings in the Ottawa\/Hull region of Canada.\u00a0 There are several fact sheets about the Viburnum leaf beetle on the web, including ones by Cornell, UMass and New Hampshire:<\/p>\n