Highbush Cranberry is a tree, a long-term addition to the landscape. It's hardy across USDA zones 4 through 10 and shrugs off deer. Its late spring flowers are a moderate draw for honeybees, native bees, and butterflies.
Zones
4-10
pH Range
5.2-7
Sun
Shade
Days to Maturity
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Score Highbush Cranberry on your exact land.
Zone averages can't see the slope, soil, frost, and sun that decide whether highbush cranberry actually takes — and those shift from one yard to the next. Enter your address and we'll score highbush cranberry against your land's real conditions.
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What Highbush Cranberry is
Highbush Cranberry grows as a perennial and reaches around twelve feet at maturity. It blooms white in late spring. It's also deer-resistant.
How to grow Highbush Cranberry
Highbush Cranberry grows in USDA zones 4 through 10. Highbush Cranberry does best in shade — at least 2 hours of direct sun a day — and soil from pH 5.2 to 7. It needs a growing season of at least 110 frost-free days and about 800 hours of winter chill, which is why climate matters as much as soil.
USDA Zones
4-10
USDA PHZM 2023
Soil pH
5.2 - 7
USDA PLANTS Database
Sun
Shade
plant_species_v5.csv
Drainage
Data pending
plant_species_v5.csv
Frost Tolerance
-38°F
plant_species_v5.csv
Mature Height
12 ft
plant_species_v5.csv
Chill Hours
800+
plant_species_v5.csv
Frost-Free Days
110+
plant_species_v5.csv
Plant it right
Set highbush cranberry in shade with well-drained soil. Many fruit trees need a second variety nearby to pollinate — check before you plant just one.
Match the soil
Highbush Cranberry prefers pH 5.2 to 7 (USDA PLANTS Database). A quick soil test from your local Extension lab tells you whether to add lime or sulfur to land in band.
Water steadily
Keep the root zone evenly moist through establishment. Match watering to the plant's drainage preference and your local rainfall.
Be patient, then harvest
Prune annually while the tree establishes; fruit trees reward patience with years of harvest. Local Extension guides publish per-cultivar bearing-age tables.
Good to know
Good news for pet owners — highbush cranberry isn't known to be toxic to dogs or cats. (Source: ASPCA.)
Highbush Cranberry offers moderate value to bees and other pollinators. (Source: Xerces Society, Pollinator Partnership.)
Where Highbush Cranberry thrives
Highbush Cranberry is hardy across USDA zones 4 through 10. Zone is only the starting point, though: the soil pH, drainage, and frost dates on your specific land decide how well it actually does.
Zones 4–10·Where Highbush Cranberry growsOpen map →
On USDA hardiness-zone overlap, Highbush Cranberry can grow in these states:
See if Highbush Cranberry will thrive on your land
Zone averages are a start. Your exact soil pH, drainage, sun exposure, and frost dates shape whether highbush cranberry actually takes — we score it against the real conditions at your address.
Three things about your exact spot that zone averages miss:
We read public map data for this spot — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Can I grow Highbush Cranberry in my zone?
Highbush Cranberry grows in USDA hardiness zones 4 through 10 (USDA PHZM 2023). Zone is one factor — soil pH, drainage, and frost dates on your specific parcel also shape whether it takes.
When should you plant Highbush Cranberry?
Set highbush cranberry out in early spring or fall while it's dormant, so the roots establish before the heat of summer. Your local last-frost date — which a Growable Ground report pulls for your exact address — sets the precise window.
How much sun does Highbush Cranberry need?
Highbush Cranberry is shade-tolerant — it gets by on as little as 2 hours of direct sun, so it earns a place most vegetables can't use. A north-facing strip or the ground under a leafy canopy is right where it belongs. A Growable Ground report shows which corners of your land stay shaded through the day, turning those dim spots into planting spots.
What soil does Highbush Cranberry need?
Highbush Cranberry prefers soil pH 5.2 to 7 (USDA PLANTS Database). Your report scores your parcel's actual soil against that using USDA SSURGO data.
Does Highbush Cranberry attract pollinators?
Yes — highbush cranberry's flowers are a solid nectar source for honeybees, native bees, and butterflies (Xerces Society, Pollinator Partnership).
Is Highbush Cranberry safe for pets?
Highbush Cranberry is not known to be toxic to dogs or cats based on available data (ASPCA). Always supervise pets around new plantings.