How to Plant, Grow, and Care for Cranberry Plants

Tiny, red cranberries are delicious! They make sweet but tart jams, jellies, and juices. Learn how to grow them yourself so you’ll never have to buy them again. Join native plant gardener Jerad Bryant to bring cranberries into your home garden this season.

A vibrant plant displays clusters of small, glossy red berries, surrounded by oval green leaves that create a natural and rich contrast, with blurred greenery in the background.

Contents

Cranberry plants are native evergreen perennials from eastern North America. They’re wild plants that root freely along the ground, making them excellent ground covers in home gardens. Although they spread readily, a few tricks manage their growth for easy cultivation and harvesting.

Commercial growers plant cranberries in boggy sites so they can periodically flood the ground. Flooding keeps weeds and pests out of the fields. It also floats the cranberries so growers can collect the fruit all at once.

At home, try to simulate the boggy conditions that these plants love. You don’t have to flood your garden! Just give cranberries the moist, fertile, and acidic soil that helps them thrive. Because they’re native plants, they’ll add beneficial pollen, nectar, fruit, and habitat space for wildlife throughout their lifetime.

Vaccinium macrocarpon Overview

A round, wooden bowl is filled to the brim with plump red berries, with a few berries scattered around the table, set against a warm wooden background.
Plant Type Evergreen shrub
Family Ericaceae
Genus Vaccinium
Species macrocarpon
Native Area Northeastern U.S., Eastern Canada
Exposure Full sun to partial shade
Height 1-3′
Watering Requirements Ample Water
Pests & Diseases Worms, weevils, flea beetles, fruit rot, upright dieback, viruses
Maintenance Average
Soil Type Fertile, acidic, and wet
Hardiness Zone 3-7

What Is It?

A branch filled with shiny, ripe red berries is nestled among lush, green leaves, bathed in sunlight that highlights the vibrant colors of the fruits.
It prefers conditions similar to other Vaccinium species.

The cranberry plant is a member of the Ericaceae family and a close relative of blueberries, lingonberries, and huckleberries. Its scientific name is Vaccinium macrocarpon. It prefers conditions similar to other Vaccinium species. Another common species native to North America and Eurasia is the small cranberry, V. oxycoccos. It’s less popular for fruit but grows similarly to the American cranberry.

Native Area

The plant holds several ripe, glossy red berries in clusters, while its thin green branches and small leaves blend into a grassy background of mixed vegetation.
Although native to the eastern States, it thrives throughout North America from hardiness zones 3 through 7.

The common cranberry plant is native to eastern North America, from Canada south through the southeastern U.S. It’s the species that commercial cranberry growers plant in their wet fields. 

Although native to the eastern States, it thrives throughout North America from hardiness zones 3 through 7. It can grow in zones 2 and 8, although it’ll need some protection and extra care. 

Characteristics

A few round red berries cling to slender stems, surrounded by thick green leaves, with a blurred background of foliage that suggests a thriving outdoor environment.
The blossoms aren’t self-pollinating, and they require the help of pollinating insects to form fruit.

Cranberry plants sprout small, oval green leaves alternately on long, creeping stems. The leaves turn purple and red-orange in winter and provide colorful ornamental interest. The woody stems root freely along the ground, and a single plant can create a large colony of cranberries! They’ll spread far and wide in search of loose, fertile soil. 

In spring, pink flowers emerge that dangle downwards on short stems. The blossoms aren’t self-pollinating, and they require the help of pollinating insects to form fruit. If you’re growing cranberries outside their native range, you’ll want honeybees or a similar pollinator present. Otherwise, you’ll have to hand-pollinate the flowers for fruit!

Planting

A bush laden with red berries grows in a sunlit field, while a red bucket sits in the distance on the grass, indicating a harvest in progress.
This ground cover needs cold temperatures to spread roots underground.

Plant your cranberry plant in early fall or spring during mild, cool weather. This ground cover needs cold temperatures to spread roots underground. More roots mean a hardier plant, so get your specimen into the ground before it’s too hot and it’ll thrive throughout the summer. 

Transplanting

A small, leafy green plant grows out of a dry, brown, mulched surface, with the surrounding terrain featuring scattered patches of grass and shrubs.
Add compost or organic mulch on top, then water well so the dirt settles.

Transplant cranberry plants in fall or spring. If transplanting during fall in zones 5 and below, you’ll want to get the specimens into the ground at least a month or two before your first frost. This gives them ample time to put roots into the soil and grow hardy.

Start two weeks before your last frost date for spring transplantings. Dig a hole as deep as the plant’s root ball and twice as wide. If your soil is alkaline, amend it now to be more acidic—cranberries prefer a pH level between 4.0 and 5.2

Place the plant in the hole and backfill the soil until it reaches ground level. Add compost or organic mulch on top, then water well so the dirt settles. If it settles below ground level, add more soil to make the plant even with the rest of the soil. Your plant will start showing signs of growth in a few days as it acclimates to the new site.

Growing from Seed

A low-growing green shrub with tiny leaves is nestled in a natural patch of mossy grass and wild plants, blending seamlessly into its natural, untamed surroundings.
The seeds like temperatures between 68-77°F (20-25°C) to germinate.

Growers don’t often start cranberries from seed because they sprout seedlings with high genetic variability. The fruit could be seedy, too tart, or not abundant. When you grow plants from rooted cuttings, you know you’ll have tasty fruit that the mother plant grew. 

You should still grow cranberries from seeds if you’d like to experiment with new varieties. The seeds like temperatures between 68-77°F (20-25°C) to germinate, but they need at least 3 months of cold to germinate. They need moist, acidic soil while they sprout and bright light. Place seeds outdoors in 5” cube pots when temperatures hover between the optimal range, or start them indoors to have more control. 

Seeds need a few days to weeks to germinate and prefer moist soil with light the entire time. Once the seedlings have a few stems with leaves, they’re ready for transplanting. If you start seedlings indoors, they need a week or two of hardening off first. Place them on a protected porch or patio and let them acclimate to the outdoors, then transplant them into their final location.

How to Grow

A low-growing green shrub with tiny leaves is nestled in a natural patch of mossy grass and wild plants, blending seamlessly into its natural, untamed surroundings.
If you have an open space with wet, acidic soil, they’ll perform as ground covers like periwinkle or creeping cotoneaster.

Cranberries grow well in raised beds or containers where it’s easy to limit the rooting stems’ spread. If you have an open space with wet, acidic soil, they’ll perform as ground covers like periwinkle or creeping cotoneaster. Give them full sun, regular water, and fertile acidic soil, and they’ll sprout dozens of cranberries for you to enjoy.

Light

Two plump, round red berries hang from a thin green branch, surrounded by shiny, dark green leaves, with a blurred background of mixed vegetation.
They grow more fruit, flowers, and leaves in full sun.

Cranberries grow well in full sun or partial shade with at least six hours of direct sunlight. They grow more fruit, flowers, and leaves in full sun, although they also require more water than those grown in partial shade conditions. 

If you’re using cranberries as ground covers, then there’s no need to fuss about sunlight—they work well as ornamental specimens in partial shade conditions. If you’re growing them for fruit, place them in full sun for optimal cranberry production.

Water

A person holds a black plastic pot containing a small leafy plant, with an open field and distant trees in the background under a bright sky.
Container specimens require much more water than those in the ground.

Cranberries prefer consistent moisture and they thrive in boggy, swampy conditions. Give them regular moisture during the growing season and less during fall and spring. If natural rainfall occurs or the site is wet without irrigation, you won’t have to water often. 

Container specimens require much more water than those in the ground. Be sure to water them once daily during hot summers and less so when rain falls. Move containers to shady conditions during heat waves to keep the plants out of danger.

Excessive flooding can cause diseases to thrive, so you’ll want to balance the moisture so there’s not too much. Occasional flooding is okay, so long as it’s not longer than a few hours or more often than every few months.

Soil

A low growing bush with red berries growing among bright green foliage.
They need soils rich in organic matter, like compost, mulch, or decaying leaves.

Cranberries like fertile, loamy, acidic soil. They need soils rich in organic matter, like compost, mulch, or decaying leaves. These materials naturally create acidic soil. However, some gardens need a little help to create acidic conditions. Use garden lime or a similar product to lower the pH, preferably in autumn or early spring. 

You’ll want to amend sandy or clay garden soil before transplanting. That way, once you put the cranberry plants in the ground, they’ll spread shortly after. Amend soils by adding a healthy helping of organic mulch like compost or leaf mold to the site. Mix it at least three or four inches deep, then add a thick layer to the soil. 

Plant cranberries two weeks later, after the mulch settles. Worms, bacteria, and fungi from the mulch will creep into the ground and help the perennials long after you plant them. 

Fertilizing

A young green plant with two broad leaves emerges from dark soil, as a trowel is used to apply a small pile of granular fertilizer, highlighted by soft sunlight in a natural environment.
They need consistent nutrients to spread and sprout roots, flowers, and fruits.

Cranberries appreciate some fertilizer if soil fertility is low. They need consistent nutrients to spread and sprout roots, flowers, and fruits. Use an acidic fertilizer made for blueberries or rhododendrons, because cranberries prefer similar nutrients and pH levels as these species. 

Apply a regular dose of organic fertilizer before flowers form, and as the fruit start forming. Use the package’s instructions for correct dosages and water in the fertilizer well. 

Maintenance

two hands holding a lump of soil compost in a dark brown color.
They like a good helping of compost every few months to boost nutrition and soil porosity.

Cranberry plants need little maintenance outside of regular upkeep. They like a good helping of compost every few months to boost nutrition and soil porosity. Add it around their base, or use a mulch spreader to feed it evenly between the stems.

If the stems creep where you prefer they wouldn’t, simply prune them and pull up their roots. Transplant rooted stems into new areas for more cranberries, or compost them to return their nutrients to nature. 

Propagation

Clusters of deep red berries shine against the thick, waxy green leaves of a shrub, growing in a sunlit, outdoor garden with blurred foliage in the background.
Use cuttings, divisions, or seeds to create more plants.

Because cranberry stems root freely they’re easy to propagate! Use cuttings, divisions, or seeds to create more plants. Division is the easiest propagation method, although taking cuttings allows you to make many new plants simultaneously. Choose the method that works best for your gardening needs!

Cuttings

A pair of gloved hands gently lifts a leafy plant from a bed of soil, while surrounding greenery and garden structures can be seen in the background.
Prune six-inch long stems—leave a few leaves on top, but remove the lower ones.

Start taking cuttings from spring through early summer while temperatures are warm. Prune six-inch long stems—leave a few leaves on top, but remove the lower ones. Stick the cuttings into pots with fertile and acidic soil, then water well.

Cuttings need a few weeks to form roots, up to about two months. Place them in partial shade while they grow, and ensure their soil stays consistently moist but not soggy. They’ll start growing new shoots and leaves once they root, at which you can transplant them into larger containers or your garden.

Division

Close-up of a gardener in gray-blue gloves trimming the tips of deeply veined, jagged leaves using blue pruning shears.
You’ll need pruners, a shovel or hand trowel, and some compost to divide a cranberry plant.

Dividing cranberries is far easier than taking cuttings! You don’t have to coax roots to sprout; you simply wait for them to grow naturally. Division is best in late summer or fall before these ground covers focus on underground root growth. You can also divide plants in spring, though it may affect flower and fruit production.

You’ll need pruners, a shovel or hand trowel, and some compost to divide a cranberry plant. Start by locating sections of stems that already have roots. Prune them off the mother plant, then dig them out gently with the trowel or shovel. 

With their roots and some soil attached, move the stems to a new location and plant them. Add compost or mulch on the divisions to help them acclimate to their new homes. They’ll need consistent watering and full sun or partial shade to thrive after transplanting.

Harvesting and Storage

A small metal bucket is filled to the brim with freshly harvested red berries, resting on a patch of grass with scattered leaves and plants nearby.
Simply gather cranberries as they ripen by plucking them off their stems.

Cranberries ripen red in late summer and fall as temperatures start cooling. Commercial growers flood their fields when most of the fruits are beet red. The floods float them to the surface and growers collect them with fancy machinery. 

Unless you have acres of cranberry plants, you won’t need to flood your garden! Simply gather cranberries as they ripen by plucking them off their stems. They come off like blueberries when ripe. Eat them fresh if you love tartness. Otherwise, process them into jams and jellies, freeze them, or dry them for smoothies, desserts, and salads.

Common Problems

A hand reaches out, gripping a leafy green stem with clusters of ripe red berries, set against a natural, outdoor background of blurred greenery.
You may not experience any of these issues in your home garden.

Cranberries have some pests and diseases, especially in large monocultures. You may not experience any of these issues in your home garden. If you do, there are easy, organic methods for control that don’t harm pollinating insects and wildlife.

Pests

The Pepper Weevil is a small, dark-colored beetle with distinctive long snouts and elbowed antennae, observed on a raised wooden bed with young pepper seedlings growing nearby.
Weevils don’t damage fruit, but they do target flowers and leaves.

Three main pests affect cranberries: worms, weevils, and flea beetles.

  • Worms
    • Fruit worms are the larvae of moths that lay eggs on cranberries. The eggs hatch into wormy larvae that eat the inside of the cranberry, leaving waste called frass behind. Use micromesh nets to prevent moths from laying eggs during the summertime. Remove berries if they have evidence of tunneling during harvest time.
  • Weevils
    • Weevils don’t damage fruit, but they do target flowers and leaves. Adult beetles lay eggs on the blossoms and feed on the leaves. Larvae hatch from the eggs and eat the inside of the flowers, preventing pollination and fruit formation. Pick beetles off the plant and soak them in soapy water to mitigate damage.
  • Flea Beetles
    • Flea beetles mainly feed on the undersides of leaves, although they sometimes eat the insides of ripening cranberries. Spray them off your plants daily until they find another host. You may use neem oil or a similar organic spray in severe infestations—only apply on plants without blooms to avoid harming pollinators, and spray during the evening or early morning. 

Diseases

A solitary round red berry hangs from a thin stem alongside a dried, brown fruit, with large, bright green leaves and other branches in the background.
Fruit rot occurs before or after harvest on susceptible cranberries, turning them mushy, rotten, and brown.

Fruit rot, upright dieback disease, and a few viruses can infect weak cranberry plants. Keep your plants happy and healthy and they’ll resist infection. 

  • Fruit Rot
    • Fruit rot occurs before or after harvest on susceptible cranberries, turning them mushy, rotten, and brown. It’s caused by fungi that thrive during the growing season. Avoid adding excess nitrogen, using poor draining soil, or keeping stems underwater and you’ll thwart these fungi.
  • Upright Dieback Disease
    • This condition is from fungi that cause stems to die back on long runners, leading to lower yields during harvest time. They thrive on heat-stressed plants, so irrigate your cranberries regularly during summer to suppress the fungi. Prune off any stems with significant dieback to prevent them from spreading.
  • Viruses
    • Although there is no cure for viruses, you can work to limit their damage and spread. Thrips spread viruses from plant to plant as they bite into the leaves and suck moisture out. Avoid growing cranberries in greenhouses, as thrips thrive in greenhouse conditions. If you notice viral damage, prune out the infected parts and keep your plants stress-free while they heal. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Are cranberry plants perennials?

Yes, they are! Cranberries are evergreen perennials. They lose some leaves during winter, although they’ll hold on to some purple-red leaves before sprouting new buds in spring.

How tall are cranberry plants?

Cranberries reach one to three feet tall, though some hybrid varieties grow taller. The species type American cranberry is a low-growing ground cover.

Where can I find cranberry plants for sale?

You can find cranberries at native plant retailers and specialist nurseries near you. Rooted cuttings and divisions are also available online. Purchase them during the fall or spring for best results.

Key Takeaways

  • Cranberry plants like moist, fertile, well-draining soil with plenty of compost. 
  • Give them full sun for the most fruit, although they’ll survive in partial shade.
  • Use divisions for easy propagation.
  • Take cuttings to turn one plant into many quickly.
  • Cranberries taste tart when fresh—make juice, jam, or jelly to soften the tartness. 
  • You can also freeze or dry the fruits for long-term storage.
  • Prune unruly stems if they grow outside of their beds.
  • Avoid pests and diseases by keeping cranberry plants happy and healthy.
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