Cranberry
Vaccinium macrocarpon
Wants acid, moist soil, not a bog.
Hardiness: zones 2 to 7
Light: full sun
Size: about 1 ft tall, 3 ft wide
Harvest: September to October
From: NE North America
Here: Hardy in the Lake Erie shore climate (zone 6b to 7a), so it can live outdoors in the ground.
Good for: food.
Native to: Northeast, Midwest & Great Lakes, Eastern Canada. Hardy in zones 2 to 7.
The story
Cranberries grew in the bogs of the Northeast and were a staple of the Wampanoag, Narragansett and other nations, eaten fresh, dried into pemmican and used as dye and medicine; the name sassamanesh is Wampanoag. Cape Cod growers began flooding bogs in the 1810s.
Planting
Full sun, wet, acid, sandy-peaty soil; it is a bog plant. Grow in a sunken bed lined to hold water, with sand on top, or in a wide pot kept in a tray.
Growing
Keep constantly moist, never dry, with rainwater. Feed very lightly. The vines spread into a mat; trim runners to encourage upright fruiting shoots.
Harvest and use
Berries ripen red in autumn; pick by hand before hard frost. They keep for months cold and freeze perfectly.
What to watch for
Drying out, alkaline water, and fruitworm; birds less than you would think.
See if Cranberry fits your yard
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More berries and small fruit
General guidance, not professional advice. Conditions vary by yard and year; for local specifics ask your county extension office. Never eat a wild plant you cannot identify with certainty. Traditional uses are shared as history, not medical advice. © 2026 Sean Priest · Irie Orchard. Terms & credits · Privacy · Home