How to Landscape With American Cranberry Bushes

Use an American cranberry bush as a landscaping plant if you live in U.S. Department of Agriculture Hardiness Zones 2 through 7. The shrub is tolerant to cold and does not do well in warmer portions of the country.

Plant your American cranberry bushes in damp areas on your property. In the wild, this shrub grows in swampy woodlands, low-lying wet spots and along lakes and ponds. These bushes thrive in acidic soils and do best in full sun although they will tolerate heavy shade. With full sun, the shrub will leaf out, whereas in the shade, it becomes gangly, notes the Ohio Department of Natural Resources.

Use mass plantings of American cranberry bushes in your landscaping. Take advantage of the flowers that emerge in the spring, the colorful foliage of autumn and the red berries that remain on the twigs throughout the winter. The shrub features cream-white flowers in the center of a flat-topped cluster at the ends of twigs, surrounded by whitish flower-like bracts. The foliage turns shades of red and purple in the fall. The small fruits hang onto the branches into the cold months, providing winter interest as they shrivel up and a food source to over-wintering birds.

Form hedges with your American cranberry bushes. These shrubs spread out as wide as 12 feet, making them suitable for planting close enough together to make barriers and hedges. You may also consider using the cranberry bush as a foundation plant since it does tolerate shady venues.

Locate American cranberry bushes along wet woodland margins and in damp naturalized areas around your home to provide food for birds and wildlife. The berries, which ripen by September, become part of the diets of hungry creatures, especially in winter.