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Cranberries
Vaccinium spp.
HABITAT: Three species of wild cranberry are native to our region: small cranberry (Vaccinium oxycoccus), large cranberry (V. macrocarpon) and northern mountain cranberry (V. vitis-idaea var. minus). All are found in wet, acidic areas such as sphagnum bogs, swampy spots and fens.
GROWTH: A ground-hugging trailing plant; technically a subshrub, but vine-like in growth habit. Stems are slender and hairless. Cranberry plants often take root at the leaf nodes, forming dense mats.
LEAVES: Smooth, hairless, leathery evergreen leaves grow alternately on the slender stems. Leaves of small cranberry are less than 3⁄8 inch long, lance-shaped with pointed tips, and white underneath; edges are rolled. Leaves of large cranberry are 1⁄4 to 5⁄8 inch long, narrowly oval with blunt tips, and pale underneath, but not as white as those of small cranberry; edges are flat or very slightly rolled. Leaves of northern mountain cranberry are 1⁄4 to 3⁄4 inch long, egg-shaped with rounded tips; undersides have tiny black resin dots (visible with a lens).
FRUIT: A tart, but delicious, red berry. Fruits of northern mountain cranberry and small cranberry grow on stalks at the tip of the stem; those of large cranberry grow along the stem rather than at the tip. Large cranberry has the largest fruits, averaging 1⁄2 inch across; those of the other two species are 3⁄8 inch or less. The fruits of large cranberry look out of proportion to the tiny leaves. There are no toxic look-alikes.
SEASON: Cranberries ripen in late summer to early fall, and may persist on the evergreen plants through winter if not eaten by birds.
COMPARE: Several plants with edible berries have similar appearance. Creeping snowberry (pg. 258) has white berries; stems and leaves are hairy. Creeping wintergreen (pg. 110) has larger leaves, up to 2 inches. Both creeping snowberry and wintergreen smell spicy when crushed. Bearberry (pg. 108) has larger leaves, up to 1 inch, which are pointed at the base and broadly rounded at the tip.
NOTES: Cranberries are best when cooked, but can be eaten raw.