Viburnum Trilobum 'Cranberry'
Light: Full to Part Sun
Type: Flowering Shrub
Native
Lots of berries for the birds
Photo by Prairie Nursery, Inc.
Highbush Cranberry blooms in spring with white clusters of tiny florets, surrounded by larger florets. Dark green leaves turn purplish-red in autumn, alongside drooping clusters of bright red berries. The berries soften and sweeten over winter, and are eaten by Cedar Waxwing and other birds. The very-tart berries are excellent in jams jellies.
Indigenous to moist woods and lake margins, Viburnum trilobum prefers consistent moisture, but tolerates a wide range of soils and is easily grown in average, well-drained soils in full sun to part shade. This large, hardy shrub has a moderate growth rate of up to three feet per year, reaching 8 to 12 feet tall and up to 10 feet wide.
Native Viburnums offer excellent support for wildlife and pollinators, serving as host plants to numerous butterflies and moths. They flower profusely whether or not pollination occurs. However, poor fruiting will happen if there is only one Viburnum available. (Source: Prairie Nursery, Inc.)