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The highbush cranberry, also referred to as cranberry viburnum or American cranberrybush, is a little bit of a puzzle. It produces sweet-tart, vibrant pink, cranberry-like fruits, but it’s not associated to the true cranberry.
American cranberrybush, Viburnum opulus var. americanum, is a number of viburnum and is native to northern North America. Including to the confusion, this deciduous native shrub is definitely confused with a weedy species from Europe, referred to as the European cranberrybush, Viburnum opulus.
North American gardeners will need to follow the native species or one among its equally showy cultivars. You’ll then have a hardy and easy-to-grow native shrub with lovely spring flowers and colourful fall foliage. The white flowers and scarlet pink berries present a feast for pollinators and songbirds, and the berries are edible and tangy, and make wonderful fruity preserves!
Are you prepared so as to add some type and shade to your woodland backyard, rain backyard, or chook backyard? Let’s dig proper into the main points and see if the highbush cranberry is a superb selection in your panorama!
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Highbush Cranberry Overview
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Plant Pure Historical past
Regardless of its title, the highbush cranberry is not associated to true cranberries (Species Vaccinium, household Ericaceae). Highbush cranberry is a member of the Moschatel household (Adoxaceae), which consists of about 200 species of herbs, shrubs, and small timber, many with showy flowers and fruits. It was beforehand grouped within the honeysuckle household (Caprifoliaceae).
The native vary of the highbush cranberry contains the entire northern United States and Canada. The vary extends as far south as Colorado, Illinois, and West Virginia. It should develop within the cooler mountain areas of extra southern states however isn’t thought-about native in these areas.
In its pure habitat, highbush cranberry is primarily an understory shrub that inhabits woodland margins and open hardwood forests. It prefers moist soils and is usually discovered alongside streams and wetland edges. This is a crucial wildlife plant all through its vary and likewise gives meals and medicinal worth for people.
Don’t confuse the native highbush cranberry with an identical species, the European cranberrybush (Viburnum opulus). European cranberrybush has escaped cultivation and naturalized in lots of northern states and Canada. The European species competes with the native highbush cranberry and different native vegetation. The fruits of the European cranberry bush are not palatable, nor are they favored by wildlife.
Traits
The highbush cranberry is a deciduous shrub with a most top of eight to 12 ft. It has a medium development charge and can mature right into a multi-stemmed shrub with a rounded, vase-like type. It has skinny bark with a clean to scaly texture and a light-weight grey to tan shade. Smaller stems have a reddish tint.
The leaves considerably resemble maple leaves, usually with three distinctive pointed lobes. The leaves measure three to 6 inches lengthy and one to 3 inches throughout. They’re reverse alongside the stems and coarsely toothed. Shade in the course of the rising season is uniformly medium inexperienced. Within the autumn, the leaves flip golden yellow, adopted by shades of pink, burgundy, and purple.
Highbush cranberry blooms within the spring. Its lacy white flowers type in flat-topped clusters. Every mass of flowers consists of two distinctly totally different flower varieties. The outer flowers are sterile however very showy. These are bigger and pure white with 5 rounded petals. The interior flowers are fertile and far more considerable. These interior flowers are a lot smaller, creamy white, and have 5 recurved petals and outstanding yellow-tipped anthers.
Shiny pink berry-like drupes mature within the fall. These could be harvested and eaten uncooked or preserved as jellies and jams. They’ve a sweet-tart taste and can be utilized as an alternative choice to conventional cranberries.
Propagation
Highbush cranberry is most simply propagated by seed, stem cuttings, or division.
Seed
You should purchase highbush cranberry seeds or harvest ripe fruits and accumulate your individual seeds. Sow the seeds outdoor within the fall, setting them ¼ to ½ inch deep. Enable them to overwinter; this era of chilly stratification will enable them to interrupt dormancy the next spring.
When new seedlings emerge, hold them moist and protected against digging and burrowing animals. After two or three years, the seedlings will probably be massive sufficient to be transplanted to a everlasting location, as wanted.
Division
When you have a mature highbush cranberry shrub that has began to ship up new shoots from across the root space, you possibly can propagate your plant by division. Dig up a wholesome root sprout with a wholesome stem and part of roots connected. Chances are you’ll want to make use of a sharp spade or pruners to assist reduce via any thicker sections of root.
As soon as separated from the father or mother plant, transplant your division instantly and water it nicely. Refill the world you dug out with contemporary soil and water it as nicely. Maintain your newly divided vegetation well-watered for the following a number of days to assist them get better from transplant shock.
Cuttings
You’ll be able to propagate viburnums from softwood cuttings within the spring or hardwood cuttings within the fall. Use sharp clippers to gather wholesome cuttings six to 10 inches lengthy. Take away the leaves from the decrease half of your cuttings and dip the stripped stems in a rooting hormone.
Plant your cuttings in pots full of contemporary potting soil. Maintain them in a sheltered location with vibrant, oblique mild, and hold the soil moist. The cuttings ought to root in six to eight weeks. You’ll know in case your cuttings are profitable once they develop new leaves and develop taller.
Transplanting
Seize your gardening gloves, the time has come to transplant a potted highbush cranberry or different viburnum species to a everlasting location. Cool spring and fall days are wonderful instances for transplanting. Put together a gap barely wider and deeper than the pot wherein your plant is at the moment rising. Add any soil amendments and compost and blend it in with the soil.
Rigorously take away your viburnum from its pot and place it within the gap. If the roots are curled round within the pot, gently unfold them out into the outlet. Ensure the foremost stem or stems are standing upright and never tilted to the facet, then backfill the outlet across the roots with contemporary soil. Water your plant nicely instantly after transplanting and for the primary a number of days to assist it alter to its new residence.
The best way to Develop
Highbush cranberry is simple to develop. When you have good rising situations for these vegetation, you shouldn’t have any points, and you’ll get pleasure from a lovely, low-maintenance decorative and fruiting shrub in your panorama.
Daylight
These shrubs develop nicely in full solar to partial shade. Of their pure setting, they’re understory vegetation tailored to partially shaded habitats. In hotter elements of their vary, particularly, they do respect safety from intense afternoon daylight.
Water
Highbush cranberry wants common soil moisture. In case your soil dries out regularly, you’ll have to do some additional watering. These vegetation are tailored to rising in moist situations and are usually not drought-tolerant.
Soil
These shrubs tolerate all kinds of soil situations however do finest in organically wealthy, moist soils with good drainage. The soil ought to be acidic with a pH of 6.0 or much less. In case your soil is poor high quality, contemplate including some soil amendments comparable to natural compost on the time of planting to supply some added vitamin.
Local weather and Temperature
Highbush cranberry is hardy in USDA Plant Hardiness Zones 2 via 7. It prefers cooler climates and gained’t usually develop nicely in any of the southern states, besides in greater elevation mountainous areas away from warmth and humidity. It’s best tailored to outlive within the north-central and northeastern states.
Fertilizing
Relatively than including artificial fertilizers, add mulch round your viburnums every year. The mulch will assist hold the roots cool and moist and because it breaks down, it should add natural materials to the soil. Shredded leaf mulch and natural compost make wonderful nutrient-rich mulching supplies.
Upkeep
You shouldn’t have to do a lot upkeep with these vegetation. Annual pruning will assist hold your bushes to a manageable measurement and form, nevertheless. Highbush cranberries do unfold by suckering, however not aggressively. Prune off undesirable root suckers every year. Do your pruning instantly after flowering to provide the vegetation an opportunity to generate contemporary stems in the course of the rising season.
Backyard Design
Highbush cranberry has broadly diverse makes use of and makes an interesting landscaping plant. If you’re in search of one thing that’s each decorative and edible, use it in your edible panorama for its showy spring flowers and tart fruits. When you’re not a fan of jams and jellies, then develop it for the wildlife in your pollinator backyard or chook backyard.
Use highbush cranberry as an understory plant in a calmly shaded woodland backyard. It’s an awesome choice for a rain backyard or wetter website, particularly when you’ve got a fixed supply of water close by, comparable to a pond or small stream. Or use it as a part of a shrubby border on the fringe of a wooded space or as a hedge with a mixture of equally sized deciduous and evergreen shrubs.
Varieties
A number of distinctive cultivars can be found for various makes use of:
‘Baily Compact’ is a dwarf cultivar that grows 5 to 6 ft tall. This properly rounded shrub makes a superb hedge or shrub border. Within the fall, its leaves flip a wealthy pink shade.
The cultivar ‘Compactum’ is a smaller selection of the highbush cranberry. It reaches a full top of 5 to 6 ft with a rounded type. This cultivar has yellow fall foliage.
The ‘Hahs’ cultivar grows six to eight ft excessive and equally as extensive. If you’re hoping to develop highbush cranberries for good fruit harvests, this cultivar could also be of curiosity. It has been bred to supply excessive fruiting yields. The pink fall foliage can also be a notable deal with.
‘Wentworth’ is an American cranberrybush cultivar that grows eight to 10 ft tall. Its autumn-bearing vibrant pink fruits glow within the morning solar, and its bronze-red fall foliage is certain to please.
Wildlife Worth
Highbush cranberry is a wonderful wildlife-friendly plant in your panorama. It blooms within the springtime and gives pollinators an considerable provide of early-season nectar. Any butterflies and bees within the neighborhood will come for a go to, and you’ll tempt them to remain longer by rising a couple of different early-season nectar vegetation. It’s also a larval host plant for the spring azure butterfly caterpillar.
Wait till fall for the showy pink fruits, referred to as drupes. These drupes are simply the proper measurement for fruit-eating birds to pluck from the stems and revel in a tasty deal with. As your highbush cranberry matures into its full measurement, it creates a secure and shrubby habitat for birds to forage, search refuge, and construct their nests.
Frequent Issues
Highbush cranberry is usually hardy and trouble-free. Chances are you’ll sometimes run into issues with insect pests, nevertheless. Be looking out for any potential points so you possibly can establish the trigger and proper issues early.
Aphids – Aphids are ubiquitous backyard pests that collect in massive numbers to suck plant juices with their tiny piercing mouthparts. These soft-bodied bugs seem grey, inexperienced, yellow, pink, or white and, whereas small, are clearly seen.
Aphids weaken vegetation however don’t typically kill them. They do, nevertheless, invite different illnesses, comparable to molds and different fungal illnesses. Spray aphid clusters with a jet of water to dislodge them and disturb their colonies. That is usually sufficient to forestall them from inflicting severe injury.
Viburnum crown borer – The viburnum crown borer is a moth whose larvae bore into the bark of viburnum vegetation. These larvae feed on the decrease trunks of the vegetation and trigger plant weak spot and, in the end, demise. Borers are interested in confused vegetation, so the primary line of protection is to develop your viburnum in a great habitat and hold it wholesome. When you suspect a crown borer infestation, useful nematodes can be utilized to fight the borers.
Viburnum leaf beetle – Viburnum leaf beetles that feed solely on totally different species of viburnum. These invasive pests have been launched from Europe and trigger extreme leaf injury. The grownup beetles are golden brown and about ¼ inch lengthy. The big are grub-like and develop as much as about ⅓ inch lengthy. They are often seen feasting on the leaves and chewing massive holes. Neem oil and insecticidal cleaning soap could be efficient in killing the larvae however will have to be reapplied as wanted. Attempt to catch infestations early earlier than these pests trigger severe injury.
Continuously Requested Questions
No. Whereas some fruiting vegetation require no less than two vegetation to efficiently set fruits, viburnums are self-fertile and can produce fruits with a single plant. When you have a number of viburnums, you’ll in fact generate extra fruits, just because you’ve got extra bushes producing.
Sadly, it is extremely troublesome to inform the distinction. The flowers, leaves, and berries all look remarkably related. The European selection has very bitter fruits which can be typically thought-about inedible, whereas the American native cranberrybush has tart however totally edible fruits.
When not fruiting, you’ll need to look intently on the glands on the leaf stalk. Protruding rounded glands on the stems on the base of the leaves on the American highbush cranberry are rounded, not sunken inwards. The protruding glands on the stems on the base of the leaves on the European selection are flat-topped and sunken in with just a little divet. It’s a really delicate distinction, however helpful to inform these two species aside.
Varied species of viburnum are widespread landscaping vegetation. You would possibly discover highbush cranberry or one among its cultivars within the flowering shrubs part of your native backyard heart. You may also verify for nurseries focusing on native vegetation or ask your nearest backyard membership or botanical backyard for an inventory of respected native plant distributors.
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