Viburnum opulus var. americanum – High Bush Cranberry; American Viburnum

General Information: A native beauty with distinctive flowers and fruits. Found along streams, damp locations, and hillsides, High Bush Cranberry is an erect spreading and arching shrub. In spring, clusters of white flowers transform by late summer or early fall to red drupes, a bit like Cranberries. Somewhat large, vibrant green, Maple-like leaves cover the plant through the entirety of the growing season, acquiring burgundy splotches in fall. The fruits are known to hang on the bush for long periods, usually until a deep snow prevents wildlife from accessing alternate food sources. This plant has been used by Indigenous Peoples as both a medicine and food source.

Cultivation Details: This plant is considered self-fertile. Only one plant is needed to set fruit. Easy to grow and maintain, and very low maintenance. A superb choice for planting along foundations, borders, or hedgerows; as a specimen, for filling in slopes, or for planting along ponds or streams. Generally pest-free, and disease resistant, High Bush Cranberry is a lovely edimental choice for plant lovers from all walks!

Edible Qualities: Treat the fruits just like a traditional Cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon). The fruits are insipid raw until they become softened by the first few hard frosts, after which they become quite palatable, save for the hard seed. The ripening process may be simulated by placing the fruits in the freezer, moving them to the refrigerator until they have thawed, then returning them to the freezer and thawing again. Cooking also removes the acridity, rendering them zesty and slightly sweet. The preferred methods of consumption are cooking and canning. A versatile fruit that allows for plenty of experimentation – try them in juices, smoothies, in preserves, dried, or as a sour garnish for meats.

Growing Requirements: Plant in full sun to part shade. Prefers moist well-drained soils. Tolerates most soil types. Suitable for mildly acidic, neutral, mildly alkaline, and very alkaline soils.

Fun Facts: An alternate name often applied to the European subspecies, Cramp-Bark, alludes to the traditional medicinal uses of this plant. European and American subspecies can be distinguished by the petiolar glands – structures that appear immediately at the base of each leaf, where the reddish leaf stem begins to spread and turn into leaf. In the American subspecies, the glands are convex or rounded, whereas in the European subspecies the glands are flat, concave, or at least dimpled. The European subspecies is not commonly eaten, but mainly preferred for medicinal uses.