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American Cranberry

11 ReviewsAsk Questions
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Item #3944, 3.5" Pot.
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Description

Harvest your own Thanksgiving treats! Hardy, low-maintenance, evergreen shrub makes an excellent ground cover. Produces large, tart berries perfect for making holiday meals, cookies, muffins and more. Also enjoyed in spring, for its lovely pink flowers. Requires low-pH, acidic soil. Cold-hardy. Ripens in late-September through October. Self-pollinating. (Vaccinium macrocarpon)

125% Survival Guarantee!

Since 1816, Stark Bro’s has promised to provide customers with the very best fruit trees and plants. It’s just that simple. If your trees or plants do not survive, please let us know within one year of delivery. We will issue a one-time merchandise credit to your account equaling 125% of the original product purchase price. Read more about our warranty policy.

Characteristics

Bloom Color Pink, White
Fruit Color Red
Fruit Size Large
Pollination Self-Pollinating
Ripens/Harvest Late September To October
Shade/Sun Full Sun
Soil Composition Loamy
Soil Moisture Average Moistness
Soil pH Level 4.5 - 5.5
Taste Good/tart
Texture Firm
Years to Bear 2 - 3
Zone Range 2 - 7

Zone Compatibility

This Variety's Zone Range 2 - 7
My Hardiness Zone ?
The USDA hardiness zones offer a guide to varieties that will grow well in certain climates. Each zone corresponds to the minimum winter temperatures experienced in a given area. Make sure that your hardiness zone lies within the zone compatability range of this variety before ordering.

Size & Spacing

Mature Size

When your plant matures, it will be approximately 8 - 10" tall x 2 - 3' wide.

Recommended Spacing

We recommend spacing these plants 2 - 3' apart to ensure room for growth.

Pollination

This variety is self pollinating.

In many cases, you may still want to plant pollinating partners to increase the size of your crops, but with self-pollinating varieties doing so is optional. You'll get fruit with only one plant!

Tools & Supplies

Having the proper tools and supplies when growing your own can make the difference between a good harvest and a great harvest! Here's a list that our experts recommend for this variety.

Planting & Care

Learn all about how to grow cranberry plants in The Growing Guide. An entire section of our website dedicated to your growing success.

Read about how to grow cranberry plants »

Shipping Information

Arrives when it's time to plant

Your success is our priority. We work hard to make sure that your order arrives at the ideal time for planting in your location based on your local climate conditions.

Questions & Answers

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Browse 24 questions Browse 24 questions and 65 answers
Why did you choose this?
Stark Bro's Store
I have a wetter area in my field, was thinking these might do nicely there. And then, I could make cranberry sauce at home without corn syrup, as I am allergic to corn. YUMMY!
C H on Apr 19, 2021
I love cranberries.
LeAngela R on Mar 17, 2021
I have a wetter area in my field, was thinking these might do nicely there. And then, I could make cranberry sauce at home without corn syrup, as I am allergic to corn. YUMMY!
C H on Apr 19, 2021
Didn???t even know I could grow these
Ryan M on Apr 15, 2021
I love cranberries.
LeAngela R on Mar 17, 2021
I have a very wet area in my orchard space that i'm filling with cranberry and aronia.
Matt L on Mar 5, 2021
only choice
Catherine C on Feb 15, 2021
Hopefully I???ll be making Cranberry Jelly!
Teresa P on Feb 3, 2021
Growing these sounds fun for holiday baking!
Shannon G on Jan 22, 2021
wanted highbush cranberry, but had to settle for this instead
REBECCA S on Jan 13, 2021
It is self polliating and comparable with my zone 4
Ronald S on Nov 28, 2020
I am very pleased with the plants I purchased this spring but as cranberry lovers, we want to take advantage of our wetland bordering property to grow our own cranberries. I hope this will be a productive experiment.
Tericia A on Jul 15, 2020
Just love cranberries. Have raised beds. On will be acidic to grow acidaphiles.
Valerie L on Jun 21, 2020
curiosity
David M on Jun 15, 2020
Food producing shrub layer that will tolerate wet acidic soil in a new permaculture guild
Christine B on May 12, 2020
I love cranberries
Mariah N on May 6, 2020
Wanted to try cranberries because they are one of my favorites.
Steven J on May 5, 2020
1st time gardening
Sandra A C on Apr 1, 2020
Old ones never did well. This is the last try
Thomas B on Mar 29, 2020
ground cover for hillside
Eric P on Mar 24, 2020
Something different for our farm.
Jeffrey M on Mar 12, 2020
I'd like to give this a try in a wet area near the orchard and possibly grow more if it is successful.Not only do I enjoy cranberries, but I think the wildlife will enjoy it as a treat.
CARMEN S on Jan 8, 2020
wanted to add to the patch that I have with another type for cross pollination and strengthen crop
Karl R on Jan 6, 2020
Potted
Phyllis M on Nov 6, 2019
Want to get more kinds of fruits
JoAnne on Oct 4, 2019
Evergreen, low-pH loving berry plant. Plus, love cranberry relish.
Terri V on Aug 24, 2019
Because I thought it would make great groundcover.
L F on Aug 7, 2019
The idea of making my own cranberry sauce for the holidays with homegrown berries, couldn???t pass it up. For a good price too.
Michelle G on May 21, 2019
Best fruit ever!?!?!!
Patrick D on May 16, 2019
These plants will be a ground cover in an area that is periodically wet.
Kathleen B on Apr 28, 2019
Want it!
Ben C on Mar 15, 2019
Wanted to try these on a small embankment.
Rebecca A on Mar 13, 2019
I use pounds and pounds of cranberries in the fall for baking, making jelly and in soups, etc. I wanted to see if I could grow my own.
Kirsten H on Apr 2, 2017
I plan to plant with my blueberry bushes, liking the similar acidic soil. I like the idea of having plants and landscaping that provide more than just looks, I can't wait to harvest my own cranberries for thanksgiving dinner!
ROBYN T on Mar 5, 2017
as an experiment to introduce a cranberry garden, worked very well, small crop first year but increased this past year to what we were looking for
carol g on Nov 24, 2016
Need a ground cover. Thought this would be an interesting, edible alternative
CHRISTINE W on Sep 18, 2016
I bought two of these last fall and they did GREAT! And the best part is the birds and squirrels leave them alone!
NICOLE R on Sep 4, 2016
I will plant this at the base of my blueberries. They both need moist conditions and acid soil so it should be a good combination.
Carleen R on Jul 29, 2016
Wanted to try growing cranberries as a ground cover.
GARY O on May 15, 2016
Aside from the fun of producing our own makings for cranberry sauce, we think planting cranberries beneath our apple trees will help in their good health. If we have much problem with woodland critters eating the berries, we plan to plant carpet roses among them. Should be some fun fall harvesting.
ARLENE S on May 6, 2016
Want to see if we can grow them well here; I hope so.
Eric and Olivia B on May 4, 2016
use cranberry in baking and love them thought this would be something we could use instead of store bought
ROGER K on Mar 15, 2016
Experiment and hardiness
RANDALL R on Mar 6, 2016
Didn???t even know I could grow these
Ryan M on Apr 15, 2021
I have a very wet area in my orchard space that i'm filling with cranberry and aronia.
Matt L on Mar 5, 2021
Can these be planted in a low area that holds water for awhile after rains?
Katherine D on Mar 24, 2019
BEST ANSWER: Yes. Cranberries can grow with normal garden moisture as well as in wet areas. As long as the soil is acidic (you can use peat moss or horticultural sulfur to reduce pH if necessary) they should do well.
What do the full plants look like?
Susan B on Sep 21, 2020
Do these spread (like blackberries and mint) or stay a single plant?
Are they ok in part shade or do they need the full afternoon sun?
Kim G on May 12, 2018
BEST ANSWER: They spread by rhizomes (like iris) and require full sun.
Can you plant these as groundcover around blueberries?
Audrey G on Mar 13, 2019
BEST ANSWER: Yes! They do like the same kind of soil
I've read that some cranberry varieties can get quite tall, 5 feet or so. I'm assuming this is a dwarf variety?
new purchase on May 4, 2017
BEST ANSWER: This is actually closer to being a groundcover. It is a different species/variety than highbush cranberries, which are what you are describing.
Can these be grown on a steep hillside? I'm looking for a ground cover for my hillside.
Zachary H on Oct 4, 2020
Stark's description for cultivating cranberries says "full sun." In my 6B zone, full sun often can be blistering. Can "full sun" in a southern zone mean "full sun with northern exposure" rather than other orientations?
Sandy C on Feb 22, 2019
BEST ANSWER: If the tree or plant is in your zone, it will do OK, no matter what the exposure. Cranberries do need full sun to fruit and can take periods of summer heat.
How much do they produce?
Tavi R on Jan 17, 2017
BEST ANSWER: You can expect an average of 1-1.5 lbs. of fruit per established productive plant and as many as 3 lbs. in a good year from established mature plants.
Can cranberries be grown in a container?
Linda C on Mar 10, 2019
BEST ANSWER: I grow cranberries in containers sitting in a small amount of water. They hang over the sides and I regularly prune the longer stems (which increases upright stems making the normally flat groundcover look fuller). Fruit production is reduced when grown this way, however.
Are these low-growing ground cover or do they grow into a bush? Everywhere else I see the American Cranberry described as a large bush that prefers Alkaline soil. Here is is a low-growing ground cover that prefers acidic soil.
Doug B on Mar 29, 2021
Does this multiply on its own?
Judy C on Mar 10, 2021
Recently while in New Zealand I was delighted to see hedge about 3 feet high. The plants I have seen here NJ, USA, say height 8 - 10 inches. Are there taller bushes?
Judie B on Jun 5, 2020
BEST ANSWER: We appreciate you reaching out to us. These plants are made for ground cover so they do not get much bigger than the 8-10 inches tall and 4-5 feet wide.

If you have any further questions please don't hesitate to reach back out to us. Have a great day!
Do these come back every year?
Crystal G on Mar 19, 2021
BEST ANSWER: Yes this is a plant that bears fruit seasonally each year.
Does this really only grow 10-12" tall? Or is this a typo?
Alexis G on Jan 13, 2021
BEST ANSWER: We appreciate you reaching out to us. Not sure where you saw this information. On our website it list When your plant matures, it will be approximately 8 - 10" tall x 2 - 3' wide.

If you have any further questions please don't hesitate to reach back out to us. Have a great day!
I have high bush cranberries, are the fruits edible?
Thomas R on Dec 14, 2020
BEST ANSWER: 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).
Some of the nurseries near my house will not sell cranberry bushes. They said those are more for zone 2-4. Are there different types of cranberry bushes that would grow in zone 7a?
Kristie on Nov 24, 2020
BEST ANSWER: There may be different varieties of cranberry bushes however we just sell this one type and it is zoned for 2-7. Cranberries are easy to care for and very cold hearty which is why they grow in a zone 2. You should still have enough chill hours in a zone 7 for this to produce and be successful.
How old are the plants that I would receive? Does this variety produce at 3 to 4 yrs old?
Sunny C on Oct 25, 2020
BEST ANSWER: This variety is 6 months to 1 year old when shipped and will begin to bear in 2-3 years after planting.
I am interested in purchasing two cranberry plants. What size do you offer for shipping?
Paulette P on Jun 9, 2020
BEST ANSWER: We appreciate you reaching out to us. These are shipped in a pot 4-8 inches tall.

If you have any further questions please don't hesitate to reach back out to us. Have a great day!
we have the banks of a small stream that runs into the saint joe river (49120 zip code) behind our house, quite a few large trees around and it floods for weeks even more sometimes - plant cranberries on the creek banks?
findmdh on Jun 4, 2020
BEST ANSWER: Not recommended. Cranberries are a low growing shrub that require sun and an appropriate amount of water to grow. They are not a water plant. The images we often see are Cranberry fields that were flooded to assist harvest. The ripe berries float which makes it easier to harvest the crop. Beautiful images but misleading about their growth requirements. Wet muddy river banks might make for hazardous footing. Safety first. Good luck growing your cranberries.
I was unaware of any prohibition on the Cranberries, can you ship to Montana instead? moving may be in our future.
Debra S on Jan 11, 2020
BEST ANSWER: We appreciate you reaching out to us. Due to state regulations, we are prohibited from shipping these into the following states: GA, HI, OR, VI, WA.

If you have any further questions please don't hesitate to reach back out to us. Have a great day!
What variety of cranberry is this?
Ele H on Oct 15, 2019
BEST ANSWER: Hi Ele - Here is the information I have on this.

Genus: Vaccinium
Species: macrocarpon

If you have any further questions please don't hesitate to reach back out to us. Have a great day!
What is the yield?
Melody N on Jul 28, 2019
BEST ANSWER: Under good growing conditions, one plant yields one to 1.5 pounds, but can yield up to 3 pounds in fertile, acidic soil that is continually moist and gets full sun.
Is this the highbush cranberry - viburnum trilobum xxx ?
Isabelle S on Jan 2, 2021

Customer Reviews

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11 Reviews
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1 Star
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1
Beautiful, easy-to-grow bushes
I planted these bushes along the fence of our goat pasture and they have created a lovely hedge, In spring they have small light pink blossoms; in summer the leaves are a deep green; and in the fall - even into winter - they are covered in clumps of bright red berries.

We make jelly and cranberry sauce from the berries and we share extra berries with the goats and chickens. The berries taste best if we wait to harvest them until after there has been a real frost. Unlike some of our other bushes and trees, we haven't had any serious problems with deer browsing on our American cranberry bushes.
May 11, 2016
Purchased
 over 6 years ago
Great cranberry
The southern Midwest is not a place anyone associates with cranberry bushes. I planted 2 American cranberry bushes in June 2017. One was trampled by the dog & the other made it through the summer & fall. I didn't flood the cranberry bed for winter as it is probably not necessary. The leaves turned reddish-purple in winter & I wasn't sure if the plant survived. As spring 2018 rolled around, the leaves turned green again & the plant has really spread out. No cranberries yet, but they don't usually grow until the 3rd or 4th year. To my pleasant surprise, the 2nd plant survived & is thriving as well. They take some time to grow & they are worth it. I definitely recommend.
June 27, 2018
Purchased
 over 3 years ago
Meh
Second time ive tried these, no luck, did get one cranberry but doesn’t look like they survived winter, and it’s New England this is cranberry country. Maybe if they sold bigger more mature plants I might try again.
April 16, 2018
Purchased
 over 4 years ago
Cranberries
Cranberries are growing great. They get a fair amount of sun (between a house, a fence, and fruit trees around them). Deer are much more interested in the fruit trees than the cranberry bushes. Have a lot of flowers ready to bloom. Had them for a year and they survived the Michigan (zone 5) winter covered up with translucent green buckets (lots of wind and didn't want them to get dried out), water added during above freezing temperature periods, and no other maintenance required. They do need to be watered every day to every other day and if one does not have a bog, can create one easily (dig 1.5ft diameter and deep hole, fill with clean sand, plant cranberry plant, and put a little top soil around the base of the plant. If it gets too warm, I may put lava rock around them to keep the water in (acts similar to mulch)). Love the product, have seven and looking to get two more. Just remember, they take a year to root (so will not get much of a crop the first year).
June 9, 2019
Very slow
They are very slow growing, I may have them in a to damp of a area.
May 9, 2017
Purchased
 over 5 years ago
Plants are growing well
We have grown cranberries previously. These plants are doing very well, expanding their vines nicely. I cover them during winter with a floating row
cover to prevent soil heaving, to protect the roots. This year we expect
a moderate harvest...
May 16, 2019
Purchased
 over 4 years ago
They're Baascckkkk
While my kiwis perished over the Minnesota winter, my cranberries are doing well this spring. Hopefully to have a small crop this year.
May 19, 2017
Purchased
 over 4 years ago
American Cranberry
I knew this one was a long shot. not for my zone 9a but its still alive have to keep it out of the direct heat. If it can make it I will help it along I believe if it gets plenty of sun just not in the Texas evening sun It will live not sure if it will produce. But it looks great nice leaves would make a great ornamental plant if nothing else.
June 1, 2020
Purchased
 1 year ago
American Cranberry
Maybe I'm not much of a gardener but it basically died right away so...
August 23, 2016
Purchased
 over 5 years ago
Grows Slowly
One of the two plants I received died, and the other one is growing very slowly.
May 19, 2016
Purchased
 over 6 years ago

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