Cranberry

Cranberry false blossom phytoplasma

Cranberries are small, red fruits that grow on low, creeping shrubs. They are often used to make tasty juices and sauces.

Habitat: Wetlands

Appearance

The Cranberry is a low-growing, evergreen vine with small, glossy green leaves that turn reddish in winter. It produces tiny, pale pink to reddish flowers shaped like a crane's head, which later develop into firm, bright red, round berries.

KingdomPlantaePhylumTracheophytaClassMagnoliopsidaOrderEricalesFamilyEricaceaeGenusVaccinium

Cranberry

Interesting facts

A single cranberry vine can keep producing fruit for over 100 years!

Cranberries actually grow on low-lying vines, not on tall bushes!

Native Americans used cranberries for food, medicine, and even dye!

The tart taste of cranberries comes from special, healthy acids!

Special abilities

Cranberry can thrive in acidic, nutrient-poor bogs because its roots are specially adapted to very wet, waterlogged soils.

Cranberry berries have unique air pockets inside that make them float, which helps farmers harvest them by flooding fields.

Cranberry has tiny, leathery evergreen leaves that help it survive cold winters and continue photosynthesis year-round.

Measurements & details

Height: 10-30 cm
Spread: 30-100 cm
Flower Size: 0.5-1 cm
Bloom Season: Late spring to early summer
Edible: Yes
Toxicity: None
Lifecycle: Perennial
Pollination Method: Insect

Ecological connections

pollinates

Common Eastern Bumble Bee

Bombus impatiens

Vital for flower fertilization

eaten by

White-tailed Deer

Odocoileus virginianus

Eats berries and foliage

eaten by

American Black Bear

Ursus americanus

Feasts on ripe berries

depends on

Red Bog Sphagnum

Sphagnum capillifolium

Thrives in acidic moss mats

Traits

Fruit Bearing

Fruit-bearing plants produce fruits, which are the mature ovaries of flowering plants containing seeds.

Edible

Edible plants are those parts of a plant that are considered safe for human consumption.

Wetland

This habitat trait identifies species found in wetlands, which are areas of land saturated with water, either permanently or seasonally, including marshes, swamps, and bogs.