The American Cranberry Bush

Author: B Hirst

Article: American Cranberrybush (Viburnum trilobum) A deciduous shrub from the Honeysuckle Family (Caprifoliaceae), American Cranberrybush is commonly found throughout the northern tier of states in the United States. In these locations, it is a resident of open, wet woodlands and beside streams and some other bodies of water. I plant it in wet clay soils that are hard to use in growing other plants. It has an outer row of showy, sterile flowers resembling Hydrangeas. The flowers have a slight musty odor to me but are not offensive. Also known as Highbush Cranberry ( because of its bright red fruits that are clusted), this shrub has strong stems and thick branches, and may reach 12 feet tall by 12 feet wide when found in the open, with an arching growth habit at maturity that leaves the center of the plant devoid of branches. This shrub can be cut back hard and recovers quickly. We cut our specimen plant every 3-4 years and cut them back hard. We have sometimes used chainsaw to do the pruning quickly New landscape cultivars of this species have a much more compact and dense growth habit. As a member of the Honeysuckle Family, it is related to the Honeysuckles, Elderberries, Weigelas, and the many other Viburnums. Viburnums have been cultivated by man for thousands of years and this particular variety is my favorite for fast growing and easy to cultivate plants. If you have had trouble growing other plants in your landscape, this is a plant that will not fail for you. Planting Requirements - American Cranberrybush prefers moist to wet soils of rich or average composition, and of acidic pH. However, it tolerates dry soils of acidic, neutral, or alkaline pH reasonably well. It loves full sun to partial sun, and performs well in partial shade to full shade, although its growth habit will be much more sparce. It habitat range is found in zones 2 to 7. We always have in stock a large selection of this viburnum. Our availibility in sizes ranges from seedlings and liners to 4-5' shrubs B&B ready to pickup. Most buyers like a multi stemmed plant that is 4' in height. You can see pictures of these plants at our web site

http://seedlingsrus.com/AmericanCranberry.html

About the author: Grower of trees plants ans shrubs for 45 years in Doylestown Pa.