Plant Details

Vaccinium oxycoccos

European cranberry

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Common names

44 names · 31 languages
EnglishYour language
+2 more namesShow fewer names
  • European cranberry
  • small cranberry[2]
Other languages (30)
Dutch
  • Kleine veenbes[2]
  • Veenbes
French
+5 more namesShow fewer names
  • Canneberge[2]
  • Canneberge commune[2]
  • Canneberge d'Europe
  • Canneberge à gros fruits[2]
  • Myrtille des marais[2]
Armenian
  • Լոռամրգի[2]
Belarusian
  • Журавіны звычайныя[2]
Chinese (Simplified)
  • 红莓苔子[2]
Chinese (Traditional)
  • 紅莓苔子[2]
Chinuk Wawa
Czech
  • klikva bahenní[2]
Danish
Downriver Halkomelem
  • qʷəmcá:l̓s[2]
Estonian
  • harilik jõhvikas[2]
  • kuremari[2]
Finnish
  • isokarpalo[2]
German
  • Gewöhnliche Moosbeere[1][2]
Hungarian
  • Tőzegáfonya[2]
Japanese
  • ツルコケモモ[2]
Latvian
  • Lielā dzērvene[2]
Lithuanian
  • Paprastoji spanguolė[2]
Norwegian
  • stortranebær[2]
Nuuchahnulth
  • p̓ap̓eʔis[2]
Ojibwe
  • mashkiigomin[2]
Polish
  • Żurawina błotna[2]
Russian
  • Клюква обыкновенная[2]
Secwepemc
  • tekt̓eqst̓i7úse7[2]
Slovak
  • kľukva močiarna[2]
Slovenian
  • dlakava mahovnica[2]
Spanish
  • arándano rojo común[2]
Swedish
Ukrainian
  • Журавлина болотяна[2]
Upriver Halkomelem
  • qwum’tsa’ls[2]
Welsh
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 oxycoccos L. ↗

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 153469; taxon 7F6VG.
  • Gewöhnliche Moosbeere (DE) — VernacularName.tsv, line 153470; taxon 7F6VG.
[2] Vaccinium oxycoccos — iNaturalist taxon names ↗

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

Source records
  • isokarpalo — results[0].names[1]; taxon id 126560; Vaccinium oxycoccos.
  • bog cranberry — results[0].names[2]; taxon id 126560; Vaccinium oxycoccos.
  • Canneberge commune — results[0].names[3]; taxon id 126560; Vaccinium oxycoccos.
  • Canneberge — results[0].names[4]; taxon id 126560; Vaccinium oxycoccos.
  • Canneberge à gros fruits — results[0].names[5]; taxon id 126560; Vaccinium oxycoccos.
  • Myrtille des marais — results[0].names[6]; taxon id 126560; Vaccinium oxycoccos.
  • atoca — results[0].names[7]; taxon id 126560; Vaccinium oxycoccos.
  • ataca — results[0].names[8]; taxon id 126560; Vaccinium oxycoccos.
  • small cranberry — results[0].names[9]; taxon id 126560; Vaccinium oxycoccos.
  • Gewöhnliche Moosbeere — results[0].names[11]; taxon id 126560; Vaccinium oxycoccos.
  • mashkiigomin — results[0].names[12]; taxon id 126560; Vaccinium oxycoccos.
  • Kleine veenbes — results[0].names[13]; taxon id 126560; Vaccinium oxycoccos.
  • klikva bahenní — results[0].names[14]; taxon id 126560; Vaccinium oxycoccos.
  • Tranebær — results[0].names[15]; taxon id 126560; Vaccinium oxycoccos.
  • Клюква обыкновенная — results[0].names[16]; taxon id 126560; Vaccinium oxycoccos.
  • stortranebær — results[0].names[17]; taxon id 126560; Vaccinium oxycoccos.
  • Żurawina błotna — results[0].names[18]; taxon id 126560; Vaccinium oxycoccos.
  • Paprastoji spanguolė — results[0].names[19]; taxon id 126560; Vaccinium oxycoccos.
  • ツルコケモモ — results[0].names[20]; taxon id 126560; Vaccinium oxycoccos.
  • arándano rojo común — results[0].names[22]; taxon id 126560; Vaccinium oxycoccos.
  • 紅莓苔子 — results[0].names[23]; taxon id 126560; Vaccinium oxycoccos.
  • 红莓苔子 — results[0].names[24]; taxon id 126560; Vaccinium oxycoccos.
  • harilik jõhvikas — results[0].names[25]; taxon id 126560; Vaccinium oxycoccos.
  • kuremari — results[0].names[26]; taxon id 126560; Vaccinium oxycoccos.
  • tranbär — results[0].names[27]; taxon id 126560; Vaccinium oxycoccos.
  • Cranberry — results[0].names[28]; taxon id 126560; Vaccinium oxycoccos.
  • Լոռամրգի — results[0].names[29]; taxon id 126560; Vaccinium oxycoccos.
  • Журавіны звычайныя — results[0].names[30]; taxon id 126560; Vaccinium oxycoccos.
  • Журавлина болотяна — results[0].names[31]; taxon id 126560; Vaccinium oxycoccos.
  • Lielā dzērvene — results[0].names[32]; taxon id 126560; Vaccinium oxycoccos.
  • Cramberry — results[0].names[33]; taxon id 126560; Vaccinium oxycoccos.
  • Tőzegáfonya — results[0].names[34]; taxon id 126560; Vaccinium oxycoccos.
  • Airelle canneberge — results[0].names[35]; taxon id 126560; Vaccinium oxycoccos.
  • kľukva močiarna — results[0].names[36]; taxon id 126560; Vaccinium oxycoccos.
  • Llugaeron — results[0].names[37]; taxon id 126560; Vaccinium oxycoccos.
  • dlakava mahovnica — results[0].names[38]; taxon id 126560; Vaccinium oxycoccos.
  • qʷəmcá:l̓s — results[0].names[39]; taxon id 126560; Vaccinium oxycoccos.
  • qwum’tsa’ls — results[0].names[40]; taxon id 126560; Vaccinium oxycoccos.
  • p̓ap̓eʔis — results[0].names[41]; taxon id 126560; Vaccinium oxycoccos.
  • tekt̓eqst̓i7úse7 — results[0].names[42]; taxon id 126560; Vaccinium oxycoccos.
  • suləmix — results[0].names[43]; taxon id 126560; Vaccinium oxycoccos.

General information

Scientific name: Vaccinium oxycoccos
Accepted name (Kew): Vaccinium oxycoccos L. 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: European cranberry
Images: Google Images

Plant characteristics

Layer: Herbaceous, Ground cover
Catalogue size class: Small
Height: 0.10 m
Spread: 1.00 m
Growth rate: Fast
Foliage: Evergreen

Leaf retention described in the New England flora.

Sources [3]

Growing conditions

USDA hardiness: 2-8
Soil moisture:
Moist, Wet
Soil:
Sand (light) Loam (medium)
pH:
Acidic
Light:
Partial shade, Full sun

Uses

Edible parts:
Fruit, Tea
Edibility rating:
(4)
Medicinal rating:
(1)
Functions:
Dye, Ground cover

Description

Fruit - raw or cooked. For many, this is considered the tastiest flavor among the indigenous British wild fruits. The fruit is rich in pectin, which means it can be mixed with fruits that contain little pectin to aid in making jam. Pectin also plays an important role in the diet by helping to protect the body from radiation. Due to their sour taste, the fruits are often cooked to make jam. Although smaller than the related V. macrocarpon, the fruit of this species is considered superior in flavor. The fruit has a diameter of approximately 6 mm. Tea can be made from the leaves.

Harvest

Harvest starts: 01/09
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 186898; name ID 2457265; Vaccinium oxycoccos L..

    Source checked on .

    Source data licence: CC BY 3.0.

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

    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 2739635, ID 7F6VG: Vaccinium oxycoccos L. (accepted).

    Source checked on .

  3. Native Plant Trust; Go Botany Vaccinium oxycoccos — Go Botany
    Supports: Foliage
    Relevant sections
    • Foliage: Leaf duration

    Source checked on .