Fruit Type: Cranberry
Botanical Name: Vaccinium macrocarpon
Fruit Colour: Bright red
Growth Habit: Low-growing, trailing evergreen shrub
Final Height: Approx. 10–15 cm
Exposure: Full sun
Soil Type: Acidic, moist but well-drained soil (pH 4.0–5.5)
Pollination: Self-fertile
Hardiness: Suitable for outdoor growing once established

Cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon) is a low-growing edible shrub valued for its vivid tart fruit and distinctive spreading growth habit. Native to the cool bogs and wetlands of North America, it has long been cultivated for culinary and traditional uses.

This plant produces small pink to white bell-shaped flowers in late spring to early summer, followed by clusters of glossy red berries. The fruits typically ripen from late summer into early autumn. They are round, firm, and sharply tart when fresh, becoming particularly versatile in sauces, juices, preserves, and baked dishes once cooked or sweetened.

Cranberry grows as a trailing evergreen shrub with creeping stems that gradually form a dense mat of foliage and fruiting shoots. Mature plants remain low, usually under 15 centimetres in height, but can spread outward significantly when provided with suitable soil conditions.

For best performance, plant in full sun in acidic soil with a pH between approximately 4.0 and 5.5. The plant prefers consistently moist yet well-drained conditions and performs especially well in peat-rich, sandy acidic soils that remain evenly damp.

Cranberries are self-fertile and can produce fruit without a second plant, although bees and other pollinators contribute to improved fruit set and yield.

We select our fruit plants with winter hardiness in mind, ensuring suitability for outdoor cultivation in our climate once properly established.

For gardeners seeking an edible groundcover that offers striking seasonal colour and a distinctive harvest of ruby-red fruit, cranberry remains a unique and rewarding choice.