Among the many delicious fruits that most Americans enjoy regularly , you ’d be hard - pressed to find a saucy cranberry – until Thanksgiving rolls around , that is .
Though dried cranberries often feature in granola blends and scorched goods , and the juice is pop in combination with vodka and favor by those who suffer from UTIs , the fresh fruit is something that many of us have never know , preferring instead to buy a can of the gloppy jelly - like hooey to include with the vacation repast each Turkey Day .
And fresh is always better andfull of healthy vitamins and nutrients .
V. oxycoccos
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Others have only purchased bags of the frozen berries , or perhaps a moldable carton of refreshing ones , when they appear in grocery memory in the drop , to broil into pumpkin bread and commingle into savor .
But I ca n’t aid but wonder each November what it might be like togrow my own cranberriesto proudly feature on my harvest home mesa .
V. oxycoccos
Though the typical grocery memory board offerings may advise something to the contrary , the cranberry is far from generic , with over 100 unlike named diverseness ofVaccinium macrocarponin polish over the year , set out more or less 200 years ago .
Though some have been mislay to sentence and others may be a footling difficult for home agriculturalist to source , it ’s not impossible to be choosy .
If you live in a cranberry - arise neighborhood , with moist and acidic dirt in Zones 2 - 7 , I recommend that you seek out your favorite varieties from the following roundup from a trusted local nursery . I ’ve also let in a few recommended sources here .
Here ’s everything we ’ll cover :
Different Types of Cranberries
What Qualifies as a Cranberry?
To start , a bit of clarification is needed . As is the causa with many plant life , there are several different coinage do it by the mutual name “ cranberry . ”
genus Vaccinium macrocarponis the type most commonly cultivated in North America , and this native mintage is the variety that we will focalise on here .
It ’s worth mention , however , that the American cranberrybush , a species ofviburnum , is also known for producing eatable red berries that may be used in cooking , and enjoy in a similar style .
genus Viburnum trilobum , akaViburnum opulusvar.americanum , is better befit to Zones 2 - 7 , and it appreciates well - drained soils and plenty of moisture . This “ highbush ” industrial plant ( sometimes name to as a tree ) has an upright growth habit and it may reach a mature statue of 12 feet , with a matching paste .
bunch of white bloom , passably redolent of that ofthe elderberry , bloom in the leap , followed by blood-red yield in the fall that hangs on through winter . sour greenish foliage changes to an attractive red with the modification of the seasons .
Birds will love the yield , and you will too . A bit smaller than unfeigned cranberries , these also have a tart flavor that ’s perfect for use in homemade jelly , and each has just one seed .
Viburnum trilobum
plant areavailable from Nature Hills Nursery .
Or , if you ’re looking for something a bit smaller , with a fledged height of about six metrical unit soap , try one of the many compact or dwarf varieties of American cranberrybush .
V. trilobum‘Alfredo ’
V. trilobum‘Alfredo ’ plants areavailable from Nature Hills Nursery , an attractive option with leaves that emerge red in leaping , transfer to greenish with the arrival of summertime , and turn over a dark purplish bolshie in the fall .
‘ Compactum ’ is another nice dwarf alternative , with foliation that turns yellow seminal fluid autumn .
You may also total across another unrelated plant that portion out a exchangeable vulgar name , the cranberry cotoneaster ( Cotoneaster apiculata ) . This bush also boasts promising red yield , but these are not edible ( unless you ’re a bird ) . They do put up nice ornamental economic value , however , as they stay on the bush into the winter .
This flora has stiff , tightly pack , arching branches with glossy saturnine fleeceable leaf that change to shades of purpleness and red in the fall . It may be planted to cascade over a rock wall , as a trail ground cover , or as a short border plant .
This deciduous evergreen plant has pink prime in the spring , come after by the bright reddish fruit . A member ofthe rose family , it maxes out at about three groundwork in height .
Cotoneaster apiculata
Suitable for grow in Zones 4 - 7 , potted plants in several sizes areavailable from Nature Hills Nursery .
But , I digress . Let ’s get back to theVacciniumgenus , members of the Ericaceae family of evergreen shrubs that are relatives of theblueberry .
With a ambit that spans Canada and the easterly US , V. macrocarponmay be found in the wild as far south as North Carolina . Also cognise as the true , great , or American cranberry , or sometimes the bearberry , it has large leaf and large fruit that are actually – conceive it or not – known to be a act less tart than that of other species .
Speaking of which , there are several other specie of Charles Edward Berry - producingVacciniumplants that also go by the name “ cranberry . ”
Though these are less common in gardens and not typically favorited in commercial yield , you may see these flora in the wild in their aboriginal regions , and the ripe fruit is prize for foraging – if you could baffle the local wildlife to it .
V. oxycoccos – aka the European , common , or northerly cranberry – may be found across a large swath of the North spanning Asia , Europe , and North America .
The flowers are colored pinkish , and both the leaves and fruit are humble than that of the standard commercial sort – about half the sizeof what you ’d typically determine in American market shop . The berries are also lighter in colour , more of a pale pink .
V. microcarpumhas a alike range toV. oxycoccos , and yes , that ’s right – “ micro , ” as in small , is a meet name for this miscellanea . The yield is smaller , plants produce few flowers ( and hence , smaller yields ) , parting are often smaller , and they may also be triangular in configuration .
You may also stumble uponV. erythrocarpum , or the southern mountain cranberry . aboriginal to the southern Appalachian Mountains , this plant life grows at eminent altitudes in parts of the southeasterly US . know for have a tasty feel , this type sometimes goes by the name red huckleberry .
last , do n’t forgetV. vitis - idaea , or the lowbush cranberry . Though all fellow member of theVacciniumgenus known as cranberries have a growth habit that ’s pretty low to the earth , for whatever reason , the name perplex with this species .
Well , it stuck to some extent , in sure circles .
You may know this mixed bag as thelingonberry , commonly cultivated in portion of Europe with a suitable mood .
Or maybe you’veforaged for berriesin the wintry North of Europe or North America and discover this as the northern mountain , tilt , or teetotal ground cranberry . Or the moo-cow , fox , Bonasa umbellus , or wolf berry , perhaps ?
Vaccinium vitis - idaea
Let ’s skip the common names and stick with the standard botanical byname , shall we ?
If you want to give growing this case a stab , you may regain plants available in one- and two - gallon containersat Fast Growing Trees .
The wild American case ( V. vitis-idaeavar.minus ) iscommon in Alaskaand other points north . The bell - shaped pinkish and white flowers originate in clusters , the hard evergreen plant leaves have a rounded Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe with edges that are rolled under , and the rotund crimson fruit is tart and tasty .
With that , the various types that you may descend across are passably well covered .
If produce your own crop at home is what you ’re after , the true blue ( er , scarlet ) clause is going to be your best bet in Zones 2 - 7 . lease ’s take a look at some of the top cultivar next .
9 of the Best True Cranberry Varieties to Grow at Home
You might not be able-bodied to find heirloom ( aka “ inheritance wild ” ) or even intercrossed cranberry George Bush at your local industrial plant baby’s room , but specialty growers who trade plant and vines to the populace are not unheard of in region cognise for give rise the sharp flushed yield .
If you last in a cranberry turn part , it ’s deserving a shot to take a feel .
You might even have some portion reach out to local growers ’ associations or farmers for cuttings that you’re able to circularize at home .
commercial-grade production in the US is mostly condense in Wisconsin , Massachusetts , Oregon , Washington , and New Jersey , where plant breeders at Rutgers University are known for producing several notable types .
This work continues today . In fact , the nurture program in New Jersey is the only modern - day formal broadcast of its form still in existence , as far as I can tell .
TheUMass Cranberry Stationin East Wareham , Massachusetts is still participating , but its charge is to further the viability of cranberry production in the state via inquiry and public outreach , better growing practices and opportunities for local farmers rather than spawn new varieties .
In previous decades , similar breeding and research programs were combat-ready at Washington State University and the University of Wisconsin .
Note that some potpourri are only useable for sale currently to commercial growers , as is the case for many newfangled varieties of both edible and decorative plants . Be sure to forefend dishonour any vine sales agreement .
Some newer multifariousness are patented or otherwise certify and protected , and this means commercial producer are interdict from selling cuttings purchase directly from the breeder , or from using them to make their own new hybrids .
Keep in head that if you elect to diffuse plant from seed , store your own seed is not recommend unless you are growing thestraight up species variety , or an open pollinated heirloom type .
OutsideprideV. MacrocarpumSeeds , useable via Amazon
Hybrids will not grow truthful to type and results may be unpredictable . Not that this is necessarily a high-risk thing , a la “ Little Shop of repugnance , ” but you ’ve been warned .
While dark redV. macrocarpumberries are the most common , you may also determine varieties with fruit in shades of pink , or streak red and white . A regal roster , you ’ll encounter many monarchs among the top pick , at least in name .
While false blossom disease resistance was a major thoughtfulness among breeder in the other part of the 20th C , precedence shifted to fruit quality and yield sizing after insecticides were developed in the forties to control the leafhoppers that commonly spread this disease .
However , I ’d argue that disease resistance as well as berry size of it and quality are factors that remain relevant to home cultivator , peculiarly those who may not care to use chemical substance pesticides and fungicides on their crop .
Please also observe that , of the Cape Cod arena heirloom in particular and other cultivars say commonly to have been “ discovered ” in the early nineteenth C , all were live already by aboriginal peoples who ate the berry , used them in medicine , and used them to make dye .
Specimens of waste plants with exceptional timbre were selected for cultivation .
mellifluous , tart , and tasty whether dry or saucy , whirr up in the food processor with sugar and orange to make a zestfulness like my mom used to do , or cooked on the stove with star anise plant , red vino , and California - grownAsian persimmonslike I do to make my sauce for Thanksgiving today , these special berries have a long history in North America .
cranberry are ego - fecund , broadly resistive to gadfly and disease , beautiful to look at , and they allow for food for people as well as the local wildlife . Though I ’m not able to grow my own here in the sunny Zone 10b climate of Los Angeles , I ’d have intercourse for my horticulture friends and readers out there who do live in desirable locations to give this fruit a endeavor .
Here are some of my favorite varieties that I think you will enjoy . And you do n’t have to take my word for it – they ’re know for having lineament that are the good of the good , exceed down from one generation to the next or cautiously selected by commercial-grade growers and breeders for the proficient output , disease resistor , and fruit timber .
1. Ben Lear
According to Paul Eck ’s book on the American cranberry published by Rutgers University Press in 1990,available via Amazon , this native wild type was selected for refinement and refer in 1901 by D. R. Burr in Berlin , Wisconsin .
This is an early kind known for being very productive , with large , bass crimson fruit .
Without going too deep into the detail of cranberry raising , this type was apparently nearly rejected way back when , as an “ unsufferable genetic constitution . ”
But it has seen a revivification in popularity in recent years and is often grown commercially via clones of the original violent works , or used in breeding to create new cultivars .
2. Crimson Queen
A mixed bag known for becoming established quickly with a vigorous growth substance abuse , ‘ Crimson Queen ’ was the first type resign by Dr. Nicholi Vorsa with the Rutgers University bringing up curriculum , back in 2006 .
A hybrid cross of ‘ Stevens ’ and ‘ Ben Lear , ’ it ’s a New - daytime improvement on both renowned variety .
An early type make love to produce declamatory and more consistent yields than ‘ Ben Lear , ’ it typically blooms a few day to begin with than ‘ Stevens . ’
‘ Crimson Billie Jean Moffitt King ’ is a newer descendant known for high yields , bred by the Grygleski family at Valley Corporation in Tomah , Wisconsin and released in 2009 . Today , these third - genesis farmers are Ocean Spray growers who tame their fruit on 300 acres of land .
3. Early Black
This variety ripens early , typically before the first average frost date in Massachusetts , a blessing to raiser . And it has small , dark ruby-red berries , with a agreeably sweet taste for this character of yield .
But the account of this heirloom is a minute murky – while some claim it was “ discovered ” by Captain Nathaniel Robbins of Harwich Center , Massachusetts in 1852 , Captain Cyrus Cahoon is also consort with early cultivation of this type .
fit in to his nephew , cited inan excerpt from a 1936 edition of “ cranberry : The National Cranberry Magazine,”perhaps Cahoon was plainly a more effective marketer who made more of a “ to do ” about this sort . Jerome Robbins was also noted by the nephew of Cahoon for his methodical agriculture methods , perhaps a relic of his time as an onetime ocean captain .
In fact , at this time in Massachusetts history , many ocean captains made a career change , leaving their days aboard ship behind and turning to the lucrative field ( or bog … ) of cranberry finish rather .
This variety is not as tender to ground type as some , a welcome feature . Expect lower yields with ‘ former Black ’ than what you ’d typically get with more mod hybrid diversity .
It also produces moon-curser readily , so you may need to prune it more than you would other types . But on the other hand , this would be an first-class quality if you ’re looking to disseminate a large figure of plants !
Though it can sometimes be difficult to line the genealogy of commercially produced cross , many breeder have stuck to a certain agreed - upon convention in paying homage to this vintage character . Modern hybrids with ‘ Black ’ in their names are likely posterity of this one , let in ‘ Black Diamond ’ and ‘ Black Veil . ’
Moderately immune to false bloom , ‘ Early Black ’ is particularly susceptible to fungal disease , so you may need to rest on top of a agenda ofrepeated fungicide spraysthrough the season with this diversity . But you ’ll be pay back at harvest time with fruit thatkeeps well in store .
4. Franklin
A intercrossed crisscross of ‘ former Black ’ and ‘ Howes , ’ this type is favour for its low level of juiciness and gamey pectin content . If sauce is what you ’re after , this is the mixed bag you ’ve been reckon for .
The glossy fruit ripens other and stores well , with more seeds than some other type . plant are resistant to fictitious blossom disease and they produce few runners .
5. Howes
Frost repellent , with lustrous yield , this is another popular Massachusetts heirloom that ripens later in the season than ‘ other Black . ’
Eli Howes , a nester , gave this previously idle type its name after he bumble upon it in 1843 in East Dennis , Massachusetts and selected it for refinement .
Cape Cod is said to be thebirthplace of cultivated cranberry yield in the US , begin with a man named Henry Hall , who decided back in 1816 to fence in some hazardous bushes to keep the local wildlife from helping themselves .
‘ Howe ’ fruit is firm and it stores well . Though resistant to yield rotting , this case is susceptible to untrue blossom .
6. McFarlin
An heirloom sourced from the wild in 1874 and associated with Charles Dexter McFarlin of South Carver , Massachusetts , this type is repellent to false flush , and it produces large fruit that ripens late .
McFarlin was recognize to naturalise these berries in Massachusetts , and he later bring in them to Oregon and implant this variety in what was allege to be the first commercial peat bog west of the Rockies .
7. Pilgrim
A intercrossed cross of ‘ McFarlin ’ and ‘ Prolific , ’ this character acquire deep red fruit that mature of late , with comely keeping quality . The berries are gamey and low in pectin , and plants are resistant to off-key bloom and moderately frost tolerant .
‘ Pilgrim ’
‘ Pilgrim King ’ is a descendent of ‘ Pilgrim ’ and a proprietary Valley Corp variety , released in 1996 . Exceptionally large fruits mature deep , and plants are roll in the hay to bring out high yields .
‘ Pilgrim ’ plants in 3.25 - inch pots areavailable via Amazon .
8. Scarlet Knight
A disease - resistant hybrid from Rutgers with a dark crimson color , and a sweeter taste than some types , this is an early smorgasbord .
Plants bring forth high yields of notably enceinte high - quality fruit , librate about 2.4 grams per Charles Edward Berry . And the fruit is know for take a long ledge life .
Released in 1995 , this variety was derived from a hybridization between ‘ Stevens ’ and another unreleased Rutgers crossbreed call NJS9837 , itself a cross between ‘ Franklin ’ and ‘ Ben Lear . ’
9. Stevens
A very popular hybrid cross of ‘ McFarlin ’ and ‘ Potter ’ ( a Cuban sandwich - variety of ‘ Searles ’ which is itself a wild heirloom date back to 1893 in Wisconsin ) , this eccentric reign the market place in cultivation .
‘ Stevens ’ was so named by H. F. Bain in 1940 , in Whitesbog , New Jersey .
The fruit mature a bit earlier than that of ‘ Howes , ’ with a deep red color and scores of seeds .
Vigorous vines bring about high yields , and the fruit is gamy but humble in pectin – perfect for commercial processing as well as habitation use .
‘ Smitty Stevens ’
This type is resistant to fruit hogwash , and moderately resistive to untrue flower .
you could come up ‘ Stanley Smith Stevens ’ plant in two - quart and two - gallon containersavailable at Fast Growing Trees .
A Bounteous Berry That’s a Delight to Eat
Whether you love of a blot where you may go out and scrounge for fruit in the fall , or you ’re quick to harness the task of originate your own , I care you the best of luck in relish topically grown cranberry if you ’re able to .
And for more information onfruit to spring up in your garden , check over out these guides next :
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About
Allison Sidhu
