Geographical origin: Northern America.
Adult dimensions: Height up to 0.30m, width up to 0.80m.
Foliage: Evergreen.
Type of soil: Acid soil, moist to humid.
Hardiness: Hardy to -30°C.
Site: Mid-shade to full sun.
Properties and uses:
The Cranberry is a small creeping shrub with thin branches. It produces small pink flowers, followed as from September by edible small red berries, called Cranberries. These berries can be eaten fresh or dried, in salted or in sweet dishes. They can be used for making jams, juices and they can be frozen.
The fruit has numerous antioxidant proprieties; it fights urinary infections, and would have effective actions against oral infections.
Plant them now: the shortest way to your plate is through your garden!
The list of varieties:
- Cranberry 'Big Pearl': a variety of Cranberries with very large fruits, which contrast with the tiny evergreen leaves.
- Cranberry 'Early Black': a variety of early Cranberries with deep red fruits.
- Cranberry 'Howes': hardy to cold. The fruits appear about 3 weeks after those of the Early Black. The fruits are medium-sized, have a deep red colour and few seeds, and their pulp is particularly rich with pectin.
- Cranberry 'Pilgrim': American variety obtained by hybridisation, in order to have big fruits with a minimum of astringency and a maximum yield of juice. The production of fruits is very good although tardy, the berries are light red coloured.