Cranberry

Cranberry is an evergreen dwarf shrub and its thread-like stems creep along the sphagnum moss surfaces of peatlands. Cranberry’s light red flowers open in June-July and the dark red, globular berries ripen in September-October. The berries remain edible until spring.

Cranberry thrives on poorish and open peatlands. It is most abundant in fens and it provides smaller berry crop in pine and spruce mires. Cranberry’s area of distribution covers Eurasia and northern parts of North America.

Cranberry is one of our most important peatland species. Its acidic berries are a good source of vitamin C. The berries have also been used as medicine for problems with gastric acid and for renal and bladder inflammations. It has been scientifically proven that cranberries have an effect in treating of urinary tract infections. In addition, cranberries belong to the diet of e.g. Cranes (Grus grus) and Willow grouses (Lagopus lagopus).

Cranberry is a common peatland species that requires no conservation measures to secure its occurrence.