Vaccinium macrocarpon Aiton
American cranberry, cranberry, large cranberry
Cranberries are low, creeping shrubs with a fondness for acidic bogs. They are native to the northeastern United States.
Plants: Cranberries are vine-like, creeping up to 6′ (1.8 m) horizontally, but less than 8″ (20 cm) high. If you aren’t standing or floating in a bog, you probably aren’t looking at cranberries. See also the small cranberry.
Leaves: About ½″ (1.3 cm) long, oval, shiny on top.
Flowers: Pale pink or white, about ½″ (1.3 cm) long, with four petals that curve strongly backward.
Fruits: Berries are ½–1″ (1.3–2.5 cm) in diameter and quite hard, like tiny apples
Habitats: Acidic bogs, swamps, and wet shorelines.
This Vaccinium comparison chart also includes a couple of similar-appearing species that are not Vaccinium.
Edibility: Cranberries are too tart to eat fresh, but they have long been made into jams, cakes, muffins, and juice.
Medical: Several medical studies have explored the folk belief that regular consumption of cranberry juice reduces the rate of urinary tract infections (UTIs) in women. Results were mixed.
Online References:
Www.umass.edu (PDF)
Oxycoccus macrocarpus (Aiton) Pursh
No, that’s not a cranberry flower. · 9/16/2016 · Sieur de Monts Botanical Gardens, Bar Harbor, Maine 
8/18/2013 · Bemis Road, Townsend, Massachusetts · ≈ 6 × 9″ (15 × 22 cm) 
8/3/2025 · Saco Heath Preserve, Saco, Maine · ≈ 1 × 1′ (34 × 32 cm) 
10/27/2017 · Bemis Road Conservation Area, Pepperell, Massachusetts · ≈ 10 × 6″ (24 × 16 cm) 
8/31/2021 · Hackett and Minot Trails, Harpswell, Maine · ≈ 4 × 6″ (10 × 15 cm) 
9/7/2025 · Andover, Maine · By Heather A. Kent 
10/8/2016 · Groton Town Forest, Groton, Massachusetts · ≈ 5 × 8″ (13 × 20 cm) 
10/27/2017 · Bemis Road Conservation Area, Pepperell, Massachusetts · ≈ 8 × 5″ (20 × 13 cm) 
9/1/2012 · Bemis Rd Conservation Area, Pepperell, Massachusetts · ≈ 9 × 6″ (23 × 15 cm) 
ID is uncertain 
10/8/2016 · Groton Town Forest, Groton, Massachusetts · ≈ 5 × 8″ (13 × 20 cm) 
4/14/2013 · Bemis Rd, Pepperell, Massachusetts ID is uncertain 
10/27/2017 · Bemis Road Conservation Area, Pepperell, Massachusetts · ≈ 7 × 4½″ (18 × 12 cm) 
6/24/2025 · Hackett and Minot Trails, Harpswell, Maine · ≈ 1½ × 2½′ (49 × 74 cm) 
8/1/2009 · Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens, Boothbay, Maine · ≈ 13 × 9″ (33 × 22 cm) 
4/7/2021 · Hackett and Minot Trails, Harpswell, Maine · ≈ 5 × 7″ (13 × 17 cm) ID is uncertain 
8/3/2025 · Saco Heath Preserve, Saco, Maine · ≈ 4 × 3″ (10 × 8.5 cm) 
9/1/2012 · Bemis Rd Conservation Area, Pepperell, Massachusetts · ≈ 9 × 6″ (22 × 14 cm) ID is uncertain 
8/31/2021 · Hackett and Minot Trails, Harpswell, Maine · ≈ 6 × 4″ (16 × 10 cm) 
8/1/2009 · Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens, Boothbay, Maine · ≈ 2½ × 1½′ (74 × 49 cm) 
9/1/2012 · Bemis Rd Conservation Area, Pepperell, Massachusetts · ≈ 8 × 5″ (19 × 13 cm) ID is uncertain 
7/5/2017 · Bemis Rd., Pepperell, Massachusetts · ≈ 6 × 4″ (16 × 11 cm) 
8/18/2013 · Bemis Road, Townsend, Massachusetts · ≈ 9 × 6″ (22 × 15 cm) 
| Kingdom | Plantae | Plants, but not fungi, lichens, or algae (from Stearn's Botanical Latin) |
| Subkingdom | Tracheobionta | Vascular plants—plants with a “circulatory system” for delivering water and nutrients |
| Division | Magnoliophyta | Flowering plants, also known as angiosperms |
| Class | Magnoliopsida | Dicotyledons—plants with two initial seed leaves |
| Subclass | Asteridae | A large class that encompasses asters |
| Order | Ericales | Tea, persimmon, blueberry, Brazil nut, azalea, many others |
| Family | Ericaceae | Heath or heather family |
| Genus | Vaccinium | Ancient Latin name for billberry |
| Species | macrocarpon | “With large fruits or seedpods” |
Vaccinium macrocarpon description by Thomas H. Kent, not updated.
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