European cranberry is a deciduous shrub in the Viburnaceae (viburnum) family native to Europe, Asia and North Africa. It has attractive flowers, foliage, drupes, and showy autumn coloration. Despite the common name, it is not a cranberry, the bright read fruits merely resemble those of the Vaccinium genus. Grows in moist, well-drained, humusy soils but it is adaptable to various soils and pHs. Prune out the oldest stems to renew. This plant is mildly resistant to damage by deer. This plant looks very much like the native var. americanum and is sometimes sold as the native in nurseries. Differentiation is by glands at the tip of the leaf stalk near the blade. Those of Guelder-rose are typically shorter than wide, oval-elliptic, and bowl or cup-shaped with a distinct rim. Also, the fruit is more bitter and less desirable for making jellies and sauces. While it is often used as a hedge or in a shrub border, it is weedy and other options should be considered. Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: Aphids can be a problem. Viburnum crown borer can cause stem dieback. Some susceptibility to bacterial leaf spot, stem blight and powdery mildew. It has invasive tendencies and it is now found in the wild from Newfoundland south to Virginia and west to Washington state. Please consider planting a native or less problematic plant. The Clemson Cooperative Extension Home and Garden Information Center has a factsheet on common pests and diseases. More information on Viburnum .
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
2-4" long and nearly as wide glossy dark green leaves are three-lobed with pointed tips, rounded base, serrated margins and a somewhat wrinkled surface with impressed leaf venation. Sporadic fall color of yellow to red-purple.
Fall color
Gold/Yellow; Purple/Lavender; Red/Burgundy
Flower color
Gold/Yellow; White
Flower value
Showy
Flower form
Cyme
Flower shape
Saucer
Flower size
1-3 inches
Flower detail
White flowers on 2 to 4 in. flat-topped cyme. Larger sterile flowers surround fertile smaller flowers.
Bloom time
Spring; Summer
Fruit color
Red/Burgundy
Fruit type
Drupe
Fruit value
Long-lasting; Showy
Fruit size
< 1 inch long, < 1 inch wide
Fruit detail
0.3 in. bright red bitter drupe in fall that shrivels after a frost looking like a red raison and persists into winter
Bark color
Dark Brown; Dark Gray
Bark detail
Gray-brown waxy bark
Stem color
Brown/Copper
Stem detail
Twigs are brown and glabrous with white lenticels.
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Non-native
Origin
Europe, Asia and N. Africa.
Distribution
CT , IA , ID , IL , IN , KY , MA , ME , MI , MN , MO , MT , ND , NE , NH , NJ , NY , OH , PA , RI , SD , VT , WA , WI , WV , WY Canada: AB , BC , MB , NB , NS , PE , QC , SK
Wildlife value
Mildly deer resistant. Birds love the berries. Host plant to the Spring Azure butterfly.
Attracts
Bees; Butterflies; Songbirds
Play value
Wildlife Food Source; Wildlife Larval Host
Food & Medicine
Harvest time
Fall; Winter
Fruit type
Drupe
Edibility
Drupes can be eaten off the bush or used in jams.
Uses (ethnobotany)
Bark used medicinally
Landscape Use
Garden tags
#deciduous #deer resistant #easy to grow #drought tolerant #fall interest #moist soil #showy fruits #showy flowers #bird friendly #fall color purple #full sun tolerant #partial shade tolerant #shade tree #frequent insect problems #wildlife friendly #weedy #bat friendly #moth friendly