Highbush cranberry (squashberry)
Viburnum edule
A northern staple for sauces; sharp and bright after frost.
Hardiness: zones 2 to 6
Light: part shade
Size: about 6 ft tall, 5 ft wide
Harvest: August to September
From: Alaska and northern Canada
Here: Hardy in the Lake Erie shore climate (zone 6b to 7a), so it can live outdoors in the ground.
Good for: food, wildlife.
Native to: Alaska, Western Canada, Eastern Canada, Pacific Northwest, Rockies & Great Basin. Hardy in zones 2 to 6.
The story
Squashberry grows across Alaska and the boreal north and was a key fruit for Dena'ina, Gwich'in and Cree people, gathered after frost and stored in grease or boiled into sauce; the sour, musky berries also went into bannock. Its bark is a traditional cramp medicine.
Planting
Part shade or sun, moist drained soil; extremely hardy. Plant in spring; a 4 to 8-foot shrub that suckers.
Growing
Water in dry spells and mulch. Prune out old stems. It colours red in autumn.
Harvest and use
Berries ripen red in late summer and improve after frost; cook into jelly or sauce, like cranberries. The smell is strong, the jelly is excellent.
What to watch for
Viburnum leaf beetle; birds in winter.
See if Highbush cranberry (squashberry) fits your yard
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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