Plant Details

Vaccinium macrocarpon

American Cranberry

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Common names

32 names · 18 languages
EnglishYour language
  • American Cranberry[2]
  • Cramberry[2]
  • Cranberry[1]
+3 more namesShow fewer names
  • fenberry[2]
  • Large cranberry[2]
  • Wild Cranberry[2]
Other languages (17)
Dutch
  • Amerikaanse veenbe
  • Amerikaanse veenbes[2]
  • Cranberry[2]
+1 more nameShow fewer names
  • Grote veenbes[2]
French
  • Canneberge d'Amérique
  • canneberge à gros fruits[2]
  • gros atoca[2]
Chinese (Simplified)
Chinese (Traditional)
Czech
  • klikva velkoplodá[2]
Danish
  • Storfrugtet tranebær[2]
Finnish
  • amerikankarpalo[2]
  • pensaskarpalo[2]
German
  • Großfrüchtige Moosbeere[1][2]
  • Kraanbeere[2]
  • Kranbeere[2]
+1 more nameShow fewer names
  • Kranichbeere[2]
Mi Kmaq
Ojibwe
  • Mashkiigiminagaawanzh[2]
Polish
  • żurawina wielkoowocowa[2]
Russian
  • Клюква крупноплодная[2]
Slovak
  • kľukva veľkoplodá[2]
Spanish
  • Arándano rojo americano[2]
Swedish
  • amerikanskt tranbär[2]
Ukrainian
  • Журавлина великоплідна[2]
Wampanoag
  • sassamenesh[2]
Sources & name notes (2)

Names recorded in our plant catalogue and botanical sources, grouped by language. Usage can vary by region.

Numbered references identify names recorded by an external source. Other names are from our plant catalogue.

[1] Catalogue of Life 2026-08-20 — Vaccinium macrocarpon Aiton ↗

Common names from World Plants, version 26.05, reproduced in Catalogue of Life 2026-08-20. License: CC BY.

Source records
  • Cranberry (EN) — VernacularName.tsv, line 153460; taxon B43YB.
  • Großfrüchtige Moosbeere (DE) — VernacularName.tsv, line 153461; taxon B43YB.
[2] Vaccinium macrocarpon — iNaturalist taxon names ↗

Community-curated iNaturalist taxonomy; common-name attestation, not an independent botanical determination.

Source records
  • Large cranberry — results[0].names[1]; taxon id 63749; Vaccinium macrocarpon.
  • American Cranberry — results[0].names[2]; taxon id 63749; Vaccinium macrocarpon.
  • Großfrüchtige Moosbeere — results[0].names[4]; taxon id 63749; Vaccinium macrocarpon.
  • Wild Cranberry — results[0].names[5]; taxon id 63749; Vaccinium macrocarpon.
  • klikva velkoplodá — results[0].names[6]; taxon id 63749; Vaccinium macrocarpon.
  • su'n — results[0].names[7]; taxon id 63749; Vaccinium macrocarpon.
  • Mashkiigiminagaawanzh — results[0].names[8]; taxon id 63749; Vaccinium macrocarpon.
  • Arándano rojo americano — results[0].names[9]; taxon id 63749; Vaccinium macrocarpon.
  • 蔓越莓 — results[0].names[10]; taxon id 63749; Vaccinium macrocarpon.
  • 蔓越莓 — results[0].names[11]; taxon id 63749; Vaccinium macrocarpon.
  • amerikanskt tranbär — results[0].names[12]; taxon id 63749; Vaccinium macrocarpon.
  • Cranberry — results[0].names[13]; taxon id 63749; Vaccinium macrocarpon.
  • Storfrugtet tranebær — results[0].names[14]; taxon id 63749; Vaccinium macrocarpon.
  • Клюква крупноплодная — results[0].names[15]; taxon id 63749; Vaccinium macrocarpon.
  • żurawina wielkoowocowa — results[0].names[16]; taxon id 63749; Vaccinium macrocarpon.
  • canneberge à gros fruits — results[0].names[17]; taxon id 63749; Vaccinium macrocarpon.
  • gros atoca — results[0].names[18]; taxon id 63749; Vaccinium macrocarpon.
  • Cramberry — results[0].names[19]; taxon id 63749; Vaccinium macrocarpon.
  • Журавлина великоплідна — results[0].names[20]; taxon id 63749; Vaccinium macrocarpon.
  • amerikankarpalo — results[0].names[21]; taxon id 63749; Vaccinium macrocarpon.
  • pensaskarpalo — results[0].names[22]; taxon id 63749; Vaccinium macrocarpon.
  • fenberry — results[0].names[23]; taxon id 63749; Vaccinium macrocarpon.
  • sassamenesh — results[0].names[24]; taxon id 63749; Vaccinium macrocarpon.
  • Grote veenbes — results[0].names[25]; taxon id 63749; Vaccinium macrocarpon.
  • Amerikaanse veenbes — results[0].names[26]; taxon id 63749; Vaccinium macrocarpon.
  • kľukva veľkoplodá — results[0].names[27]; taxon id 63749; Vaccinium macrocarpon.
  • Kraanbeere — results[0].names[28]; taxon id 63749; Vaccinium macrocarpon.
  • Kranbeere — results[0].names[29]; taxon id 63749; Vaccinium macrocarpon.
  • Kranichbeere — results[0].names[30]; taxon id 63749; Vaccinium macrocarpon.

General information

Scientific name: Vaccinium macrocarpon
Accepted name (Kew): Vaccinium macrocarpon Aiton View name reference ↗

Accepted in the cited Kew taxonomic treatment.

Sources [1] [2]
Botanical family: Ericaceae

Kew's family placement for the genus Vaccinium (WCVP v16).

Sources [1]
Also known as: American Cranberry
Images: Google Images

Plant characteristics

Layer: Herbaceous, Ground cover
Catalogue size class: Small
Height: 0.3–0.91 m

NC State landscape size range; converted from feet and inches. Size varies with site, age and management.

Sources [3]
Spread: 0.46–0.71 m

NC State landscape size range; converted from feet and inches. Size varies with site, age and management.

Sources [3]
Growth rate: Moderate
Sources [3]
Foliage: Evergreen
Sources [3]
Growth habit: Horizontal, Spreading

Whole-plant habit and form as described by NC State.

Sources [3]
Life cycle: Perennial
Sources [3]

Growing conditions

USDA hardiness: 3a, 3b, 4a, 4b, 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b

USDA zones listed by NC State; winter survival does not establish reliable cropping.

Sources [3]
Soil moisture:
Well-drained, Moist, Occasionally Wet

Moisture and drainage conditions listed by NC State.

Sources [3]
Soil:
High Organic Matter, Loam (Silt)
Sources [3]
pH:
Acid (<6.0)
Sources [3]
Light:
Full sun, Partial Shade
Sources [3]

Uses

Edible parts:
Fruit
Edibility rating:
(3)
Medicinal rating:
(1)
Functions:
Ground cover

Description

Fruit - can be eaten both raw and cooked, and can also be dried for winter. This fruit is rich in vitamin C. It is too sour for most people to eat raw, so it is mainly used in pies, jams, and so on. It is said that by adding a teaspoon of salt during cooking, half of the usual amount of sugar can be replaced. The fruit has a diameter of between 1 and 2 cm.

Harvest

Harvest starts: 15/09
Harvest ends: 31/10

Sources and references

References for the information marked with source numbers on this page.

Sources checked
  1. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew World Checklist of Vascular Plants, version 16, extracted 4 June 2026
    Supports: Botanical familyTaxonomy
    Relevant sections
    • Botanical family: WCVP v16, wcvp_names.csv row 189682; name ID 2459130; Vaccinium L.. Family column.
    • Taxonomy: WCVP v16, wcvp_names.csv row 189170; name ID 2457729; Vaccinium macrocarpon Aiton.

    Source checked on .

    Source data licence: CC BY 3.0.

  2. Catalogue of Life Catalogue of Life 2026-08-20 — Vaccinium macrocarpon

    Taxonomic data from World Plants, version 26.05, reproduced in Catalogue of Life 2026-08-20.

    Supports: Taxonomy
    Relevant sections
    • Taxonomy: COL 2026-08-20, NameUsage.tsv line 4138247, ID B43YB: Vaccinium macrocarpon Aiton (accepted).

    Source checked on .

  3. NC State Extension, North Carolina State University Vaccinium macrocarpon — Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox
    Supports: HeightSpreadGrowth rateFoliageGrowth habitLife cycleLightSoil moistureSoil textureSoil pHUSDA hardiness
    Relevant sections
    • Height: Dimensions > Height; Height: 1 ft. 0 in. - 3 ft. 0 in.
    • Spread: Dimensions > Width; Width: 1 ft. 6 in. - 2 ft. 4 in.
    • Growth rate: Growth Rate
    • Foliage: Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics
    • Growth habit: Habit/Form
    • Life cycle: Life Cycle
    • Light: Light
    • Soil moisture: Soil Drainage
    • Soil texture: Soil Texture
    • Soil pH: Soil pH
    • USDA hardiness: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone

    Source checked on .