Spermatophytes (seed plants): Angiosperms (flowering plants): Eudicots: Core Eudicots: Asterids: Ericales
Section: Oxycoccus
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/14/23):
Vaccinium macrocarpon
FAMILY
Ericaceae
Go to FSUS key
Dig deeper at SERNEC, a consortium of southeastern herbaria.
Read more about Cranberry at Vascular Plants of North Carolina.
This is the familiar edible cranberry, raised commercially in artificial bogs, per Weakley's Flora (2023).
SYNONYMOUS WITH
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Vaccinium macrocarpon
FAMILY
Ericaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)
Vaccinium macrocarpon
SYNONYMOUS WITH Vascular flora of Illinois (Mohlenbrock, 2014)
Oxycoccus microcarpon
SYNONYMOUS WITH Flora of North America north of Mexico, vol. 8 (2009)
Vaccinium macrocarpon
SYNONYMOUS WITH Floristic Synthesis of North America (Kartesz, 1999)
Vaccinium macrocarpon
SYNONYMOUS WITH The genus Vaccinium L. (Ericaceae) in Virginia (Uttal, 1987)
Vaccinium macrocarpon
SYNONYMOUS WITH VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 145-19-014:
Vaccinium macrocarpon FAMILY Ericaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Oxycoccus macrocarpus
COMMON NAME:
Cranberry, Large Cranberry
To see larger pictures, click or hover over the thumbnails.
)
USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / Britton, N.L., and A. Brown. 1913 pnd_oxma6_001_lvd
)
Patrick D. McMillan pdmvmacrocarpon_invsh1
June
Flowers solitary, axillary on old growth; each pedicel with 2 bracts, per Vascular Flora of the Carolinas (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968).
)
JK Marlow jkm060710_172
July Tucker County WV
Monongahela National Forest
)
Penny Longhurst pen_20200713_093714
July Haywood County NC
White to pink pendulous flowers with 4 reflexed petals [note inferior ovary], per Wildflowers & Plant Communities of the Southern Appalachian Mountains and Piedmont (Spira, 2011).
)
Penny Longhurst pen_20200713_093738
July Haywood County NC
)
Penny Longhurst pen_20200713_093744
July Haywood County NC
Leaves evergreen, mostly 1/2" or less long, rounded at tip, whitish below, per Woody Plants of the Blue Ridge (Lance).
)
Penny Longhurst pen_20200713_093759
July Haywood County NC
)
Penny Longhurst pen_20200713_093808
July Haywood County NC
)
Penny Longhurst pen_20200713_093942
July Haywood County NC
)
Penny Longhurst pen_20200713_094106
July Haywood County NC
A shade-intolerant species, cranberry grows in open, poorly drained, acidic soils, per Wildflowers & Plant Communities of the Southern Appalachian Mountains and Piedmont (Spira, 2011).
)
Penny Longhurst pen_20220726_113606
July Haywood County NC
)
JK Marlow jkm130906_991
September Hancock County ME
)
JK Marlow jkm130906_996
September Hancock County ME
The same edible cranberry that's raised commercially in artificial bogs, per Weakley's Flora.
)
Patrick D. McMillan pdmvmacrocarpon_sb
Month Unknown
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/14/23):
Vaccinium macrocarpon
FAMILY
Ericaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Vaccinium macrocarpon
FAMILY
Ericaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)
Vaccinium macrocarpon
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Vascular flora of Illinois (Mohlenbrock, 2014)
Oxycoccus microcarpon
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Flora of North America north of Mexico, vol. 8
Vaccinium macrocarpon
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Floristic Synthesis of North America (Kartesz, 1999)
Vaccinium macrocarpon
SYNONYMOUS WITH
The genus Vaccinium L. (Ericaceae) in Virginia (Uttal, 1987)
Vaccinium macrocarpon
SYNONYMOUS WITH
VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 145-19-014:
Vaccinium macrocarpon
FAMILY
Ericaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Oxycoccus macrocarpus
1585
Subshrub; Trailing woody vine
Perennial
Habitat: bogs (southwards mainly at medium to high elevations), low pocosins with deep peat, interdunal swales, per Weakley's Flora
Native to North Carolina
Rare
CLICK HERE to see a map, notes, and images from Weakley's Flora of the Southeastern US.
LEAVES:
Evergreen
Simple
Alternate
Margins entire
FLOWER:
Spring/Summer
White to pink
4-lobed calyx
4-lobed corolla
8 stamens
Inferior ovary
Bisexual
FRUIT:
Summer/Fall
Red to pink
Berry
TO LEARN MORE about this plant, look it up in a good book!
- How to Recognize Shrubs (Grimm, 1966) p247
- Native Shrubs and Woody Vines of the Southeast (Foote & Jones, 1989) p117
- Newcomb's Wildflower Guide (Newcomb, 1977) p128
- Wild Flowers of NC, 2nd edition (Justice, Bell, & Lindsey, 2005) p189
- Woody Plants of the Blue Ridge (Lance) p29
- Wildflowers & Plant Communities of the Southern Appalachian Mountains and Piedmont (Spira, 2011) p317
- Woody Plants of the Southeastern US: A Winter Guide (Lance, 2004) p364
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