Highbush Cranberry Shrubs

Characteristics

• The leaves of the highbush cranberry have three lobes, and the shrub produces "flat-topped masses of white flowers" in June, according to the University of Saskatchewan Extension Division. Each flower cluster is actually two different types of flowers. There are sterile flowers around the outside of each group, and smaller, fertile flowers toward the center of the cluster. The sterile flowers attract pollinating insects to the fertile flowers. The bush can grow up to 15 feet tall and does not start producing fruit until it has reached full size.

Cultivation

• Although tolerant of a variety of growing conditions, the highbush cranberry is often found in damp places like moist forests and thickets. It is easiest to grow the shrub from a cutting; and, according to the Macphail Woods Ecological Forestry Project, summer cuttings produce best. Seeds can be extracted from crushing the berries, but they can take up to two years to germinate. Plant your shrub in a well-drained soil with sun or partial shade.

Care and Maintenance

• The cultivated highbush cranberry shrub requires the most maintenance in its first year. Keep the shrub moist, but not soaking wet, until the roots grow enough to support it. The area around the base of the shrub should be relatively weed-free so that all of the area nutrients go directly to the shrub. Mulch around the base of the shrub with 2 or 3 inches of decomposed wood chips or another mulch you prefer. Because the shrub prefers a more acidic soil, wood chips are a good mulching choice. Prune the bush as needed. Cut off any broken or diseased branches at any time of year, and remove older, large stems at the base of the shrub, to thin it out in the early spring.

Uses

• The highbush cranberry is an attractive plant for landscaping and attracts a variety of wildlife. The ruffed grouse and cedar waxwing prefer it over other foods. The fruits of the highbush cranberry are essential to the survival of some species because they are one of the few fruits that hang on throughout the winter. Berries are edible for people as well and can be used to make jam or pie. As a landscape plant, the shrubs can be used to create a windbreak, or they can be planted singly.