American Highbush Cranberry, Viburnum trilobum, Shrub Seeds
The American Highbush Cranberry is native to swampy woods, bogs, lake margins, pastures, thickets, slopes, and moist low places from New Brunswick to British Columbia south to New York, the Great Lakes, South Dakota, and Oregon. It is a deciduous shrub with a rounded, upright spreading, and sometimes arching habit. It typically grows to 10 to 15 feet tall.
The leaves are three-lobed, maple-like, shiny dark green turning an attractive yellow red or reddish-purple in the fall. In spring it features an outer ring of 3/4 inch white sterile flowers surrounding the fertile but inconspicuous inner flowers, in a 3-inch flat-topped cluster.
The flowers are followed by drooping clusters of cranberry-like bright red 1/4 inch edible berries (drupes) in the fall. The berries are edible fresh off the shrub and are much less bitter than those berries found on Viburnum opulus. The berries are sometimes used to make jams and jellies.
Hardy, Adaptable, Easy to Grow, Showy Flowers, Fall Color, Showy Edible Fruits, Attracts Birds and Butterflies, Wildlife Food/Shelter, Hedge/Shrub Border, Bonsai, Cold, Heat, Drought and Wind Tolerant
American Highbush Cranberry is not related to true cranberries; the name comes from its tart, edible red fruits.
Zone: 3 to 8
Growth Rate: Medium
Plant Type: Deciduous Fruiting Shrub
Family: Adoxaceae
Native Range: Northern North America
Height: 8 to 15 feet
Spread: 10 to 15 feet
Shape: Rounded with upright-spreading to irregular and arching branching.
Bloom Time: April - May
Bloom Color: White
Flower/Fruit: Small white flowers held in flat clusters followed by bright red 1/4 inch edible berries.
Sun: Full sun to part shade
Fall Color: Yellow red or reddish-purple
Drought Tolerance: Moderate to High
Water: Medium to wet
Maintenance: Low
Site Requirements/ Soil Tolerances:
Easily grown in average, medium moisture, well-drained soil in full sun to part shade. Prefers loams with consistent moisture, but tolerates a wide range of soils. Sometimes grows in wet or boggy soils in its native habitat.
Culture: Very tough and easy to grow. Occasional pruning to remove the oldest stems may be helpful.
Uses Shrub borders or foundations. Woodland margins. Hedge or screen.
Sowing Viburnum trilobum Seeds:
American Highbush Cranberry seed needs a warm spell and then a cold spell in order to mature the embryo and reduce the seed coat.
For best results, please follow the instructions in the order provided.
Scarify: Soak 24 hours
Stratify Warm 90 Days, then Cold 60 days, 40 Degrees F in a Moist Medium.
Germination: Sow 1/4” deep
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