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Adoxaceae
Highbush Cranberry Flower
Viburnum opulus var. americanum
Hospitality and the shared bounty of wild places.
- Family
- Adoxaceae
- Genus
- Viburnum
- Native to
- North America
- Bloom season
- Late Spring, Early Summer
- Type
- deciduous shrub
- Height
- 200–400 cm
- Sunlight
- full sun to part shade
- Soil
- moist, well-drained, adaptable
- Water
- moderate
- Hardiness
- 2–7
- Lifespan
- perennial; 30+ years
Did you know
- Despite the name, highbush cranberry is not a true cranberry (Vaccinium) — it is a viburnum with cranberry-like fruit.
- The flat-topped flower clusters have large sterile flowers ringing the outside that act as 'landing pads' to attract pollinators.
- The tart red berries persist through winter and are high in vitamin C, traditionally made into jelly by Indigenous peoples.
- It is extremely cold-hardy, thriving in USDA zone 2 where temperatures can drop below minus 45 degrees Celsius.
- The maple-shaped leaves turn striking red and burgundy in fall, adding three-season ornamental interest.
Color meanings
0
hospitality
1
sharing
2
natural abundance