Cranberry
Cranberry is a fruit in the Ericaceae family. It grows best in full sun with high moisture, and is listed for USDA zones 2-7.
Varieties
1 · sorted by days to maturity▸Cranberry
PROPAGATION CATEGORY: Berry groundcover (cuttings) (not currently in seed catalog). Use: Sauce, juice, drying. Note: Self-fertile. Requires constantly moist, highly acidic (pH 4-5) peaty soil. Commercial bogs are flooded only for harvest and pest control; home plants grow in moist acidic beds, not standing water.
Cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon) is a low evergreen creeping shrub grown from cuttings, needing acidic, peaty, constantly moist soil. Extremely cold-hardy (zones 2-7). Spreads by runners to form a dense mat.
Growing notes: Botanical name: Vaccinium macrocarpon|Hardiness zones: 2-7|Propagation: cuttings|Sun needs: Full sun|Water needs: High|Mature height: 6-12 inches
Plan your cranberry planting
Add cranberry to a free GardenDraft plan and get sow, transplant, and harvest dates computed for your ZIP code — with a drag-and-drop bed layout and reminders when it’s time to plant.
Start your free plan →At a glance
Storing & preserving
Refrigerate ripe fruit; ripen firm fruit at room temperature.
- Freeze: Freezes well raw; spread on a tray first so pieces stay loose.
- Preserve: Make jam or water-bath can high-acid fruit.
- Dry: Dehydrate or air-dry, then store airtight away from light.
General home-preservation guidance — for tested processing times and safety, follow the National Center for Home Food Preservation.
Growing timeline
Care & troubleshooting— extension-sourced, with citations
Something looks wrong?
Describe what you see on your cranberryand we'll rank the likely causes — most likely first, least-invasive fix first.
Iron deficiency (interveinal chlorosis)
Deficiencymoderate- CulturalTest and address soil pHstrong evidence — extension confidence
Iron is present but unavailable in high-pH soils, so test soil pH and, for the affected bed, lower pH toward the crop's preferred range (especially important for acid-loving blueberries) rather than just adding iron.
- OrganicUse chelated iron for a quick correction· every 2 wksmoderate evidence — extension confidence
A foliar spray or soil drench of chelated iron can green up new growth per the label; soil-applied ferrous iron quickly oxidizes and becomes unavailable in high-pH soil, so chelate plus pH management works best.