Vaccinium oxycoccos

Common Names

Small Cranberry, Bog Cranberry, Swamp Cranberry, Cranberry, European Cranberry, Marshberry, Marshberries, Wild Cranberry, Common Cranberry, Northern Cranberry, American Cranberry, Bearberry, Cranberry (Britain), Canneberge Commune, Bog Berry, Cornberries, Crone Berry, Crauberry, Monox, Fen Berry, Fen Grapes, Mossberries, Heather

Summary

Small Cranberry is a creeping, prostrate evergreen shrub with vine-like stems that root at the nodes and leathery evergreen leaves. It bears pink to white reflexed flowers and red edible berries, forming dense mats in wetlands such as bogs, fens, muskegs, and marsh shores on very wet, acidic soils. It is circumboreal in distribution across North America, Europe, and Asia, and tolerates sun to light shade.

Culture and uses: It requires very acidic, lime-free soil (pH about 4.5 to 6) and moist to wet conditions. Propagation is by seeds or cuttings, layering, or division. It regenerates after fire via underground rhizomes. It is commonly used as ground cover. Berries are edible raw or processed and valued for jams and jellies. Leaves yield tea. It has been traditionally used by Indigenous peoples for food and medicine. Fruit persists through winter. It forms mycorrhizal associations that aid nutrient uptake.

Lifecycle

Perennial

Height

3 inches-3 ft 6 in

Spread

4-24 inches

Hardiness Zones

Zones 2-8

Sunlight Requirements

Ideally full sun, tolerates partial sun to partial shade.

Soil Type

Acidic, wet peat soils (peat bogs)

Soil Drainage

Moist to wet soils with a high water table (bogs/fens).

Soil pH

4.5-6

Bloom Color

White to deep pink

Bloom Time

Spring and Summer

Foliage Color

Dark green

Fall Foliage Color

Green (no fall color)

Leaf Lifecycle

Evergreen broadleaf

Growth Rate

Fast

Seasons of Interest

Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter

Propagation Methods

Seeds, Cuttings, Layering, Division

Attracts Wildlife

Attracts bees, butterflies, other pollinators, and birds