Description
10 cranberry plants – five plants each of the following cultivars of Vaccinium macrocarpon: ‘Pilgrim’ and ‘Stevens’
- Sunlight: Prefers full sun for optimal berry production, though it can tolerate partial shade.
- Soil: Requires moist, acidic, and well-draining soil (similar to requirements for blueberries or ericaceous compost).
- Hardiness: Highly cold-hardy down to -30°F, thriving across hardiness zones 4 through 8.
- Pollination: Self-fertile, meaning a single plant can produce fruit on its own, though planting multiple bushes increases the overall harvest
Stevens
- Type: Broadleaf evergreen, low-creeping vine/groundcover
- Size: Grows only about 6 to 12 inches tall and spreads 18 to 24 inches wide
- Fruit: Large, crimson-red, tart berries that ripen in late summer to October
- Flowers: Dainty white to pinkish blooms appear in the summer and attract pollinators like bees
- Hardiness: Cold-hardy in USDA Zones 2 through 8
Pilgrim
- Appearance: Low-growing, evergreen groundcover reaching only about 6 to 10 inches tall while spreading wide to form a dense mat of dark green foliage.
- Flowers: Tiny pink, orchid-like blooms appear in mid-spring to mid-summer, attracting bees, butterflies, and other pollinators.
- Fruit: Produces large, tart, nickel-sized red berries that mature in mid-to-late fall (September through November).
- Hardiness: Exceptionally cold-hardy, surviving temperatures down to minus 30°F (USDA Zones 4–9)