Cranberry Seeds, American Low Bush Cranberry
(Vaccinium macrocarpon). Evergreen. Zones 2-6.
Cranberry, or American Cranberry, is a low-growing, creeping shrub with small glossy leaves, fuchsia-pink flowers and cheerful, bright red cranberries in Fall. The leaves stay green all winter, which makes Cranberry a lovely ornamental as well as a food source.
Cranberry is native to bogs and wetlands in Southern Canada and Northeastern United States and makes a great groundcover in wet environments, especially with other plants that thrive in acidic soil.
Commercial growers plant Cranberry in wet bogs and periodically flood them to protect the plants in winter, control weeds and pests, and make harvesting easier. A flooded cranberry bog is actually quite a beautiful sight, red berries bobbing across the landscape.
The cranberry is a superfood! They are super rich in antioxidants and high in vitamin C. They can be processed into juice, jams and jellies, or dried as a raisin substitute. A holiday meal isn’t complete without a festive dish of tart, red cranberry sauce!
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Cold Hardiness: Zones 2 - 6
Edible: Yes
Size: Ground Cover - Small shrub
Growth Rate: Slow - Medium
Nitrogen Fixer: No
Native Plant: Yes
Germination: 60-80%
Sun Requirements: Full Sun - Partial Shade
Soil Preference: Slightly acidic, consistently moist.
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GROWING INSTRUCTIONS
- Soak Seeds 24 hrs. Follow with 60 days cold, moist stratification. For more information on stratification, check out our article "How To Start Your Tree Seeds".
*If you are doing the cold period in your fridge, please check on your seeds. 60 days is an estimate & they may sprout sooner.*
- Sow cranberry seeds in peatmoss and only lightly cover, as sunlight improves germination. When seedlings are big enough to transplant, a 3 part blend of peatmoss, sand and rotted sawdust/woodchips works as a good growing substrate, until you're ready to plant them out.
- Plant stratified seeds in pots or a nursery bed. Heat mats are NOT required & can hinder germination!
- Protect young tree seedlings from slugs, cutworms & rodents. Slugs especially can eat primary leaves as soon as they come up, so be vigilant!
*Excited about growing Fruit Trees from seed? Learn more HERE.*
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Available direct from Incredible Seeds, a Canadian Heirloom and Heritage Seed Company, offering only the best natural, non-GMO, open pollinated and untreated seeds, located in Mi'kma'ki / Nova Scotia.
