Shoot Logo
Take a photoPlans & pricingBook a demoGet started

Vaccinium vitis-idaea (Cowberry)

Other names: Foxberry, Mountain cranberry, Lowbush cranberry, Hurtleberry, Hurts, Lingonberry, Whinberry, Munshock, Red whortleberry, Brawlins, Flowering box, Lingberry, Foxberry, Partridge berry

ShootChecker™

STOP: Make sure you get the “Right Plant, Right Place.”

90% of plants die because they were the wrong plant choice. Shoot helps you to save valuable time and money to get the right plant choices for any garden.

How ShootChecker™ works

Get the Right Plant, Right Place

1

Provide details about your garden or your client's garden conditions

2

ShootChecker™ will help you assess if it is the right plant

3

Save money with Right Plant, Right Place.

Get started Book a demo

Other Shoot features

Laptop, tablet and mobile devices

One-stop planning
Streamlined garden design and record-keeping all in one place

Monthly care advice
Receive tailored monthly care advice for plants in your garden

Present and collaborate
Share designs and care tasks with anyone

Join Shoot today to enjoy…

  • ShootChecker™
  • One-stop garden design
  • Monthly care advice for every plant in your garden
  • Saving money with Right Plant, Right Place

All you need to do is join.

Get started
Book a demo

Already a member? Sign in

Add to plant list
Species
V. vitis-idaea is a compact, evergreen, semi-woody fruiting perennial with a spreading habbit. It has glossy, tiny, green leaves and white, round berries that turn red when ripe.
Add to plant list
ShootChecker™
Season of interest

Flower

Spring Summer Autumn Winter
Flower

Foliage

Spring Summer Autumn Winter
Foliage
Height and spread

Height and spread

Size Max height Max spread To maturity
0.4 m 0.4 m 5-10 years
1 ft 1 ft 5-10 years

Where to grow

Soil type
  • Loamy
  • Sandy
Soil drainage
  • Moist but well-drained
  • Well-drained
Soil pH
  • Acid
Sunlight
  • Partial Shade
  • Full Shade
  • Full Sun
Aspect
  • East
  • West
  • South
  • North
Exposure
  • Exposed
  • Sheltered

Check to see if this is the Right Plant, Right Place with ShootChecker™

Open ShootChecker™

Additional plant details

Cultivation

Plant in a sun to part shade with moist, humus-rich soil. Requires an acidic boggy condition. Keep moist all year. Susceptible to frost damage and delayed flowering in cold areas.

Suggested uses

Gravel, Ground Cover, Rock, Low Maintenance, Garden edging

UK hardiness

H5

USDA zones

Zone 3, Zone 4, Zone 5, Zone 6, Zone 7, Zone 8, Zone 9

Sunset zone

4, 5, 6, 7, 14, 15, 16, 17, 2, 3

WUCOLS

North-Central Coastal = Moderate/Medium
Central Valley = Unknown
South Coastal = Inappropriate
South Inland = Inappropriate
High and Intermediate Desert = Inappropriate
Low Desert = Inappropriate

Foliage

Evergreen

Habit

Spreading

Native to

Japan, North America, Northern Europe, Northern Asia

Drought tolerant

No

Flood tolerant

Yes

Toxicity

Not toxic

Plant care

Pruning

Cranberry can be pruned after harvest to stimulate the production of vigorous uprights that will produce more fruit.

Pests

Caterpillars

Diseases

Grey mould

Powdery mildew

Leaf spot

Rust

Take semi-hardwood cuttings in late-summer

Layer in autumn

Plant in acidic soil

Plant in acid soils that are moist but well-drained

Plant container grown plants in a sunny postion

Sanding (optional)

Plant cranberries in autumn or spring

Sow seeds in a cold frame in autumn

Other plants

Plants in this Genus (74)

Vaccinium

Select all Deselect all
0 selected Add to a plant list
0 selected
Vaccinium corymbosum (any variety)
View
Select
Vaccinium corymbosum (any variety) Highbush blueberry (any variety)
Vaccinium macrocarpon 'Red Star'
View
Select
Vaccinium macrocarpon 'Red Star' Cranberry 'Red Star'
Vaccinium cylindraceum
View
Select
Vaccinium cylindraceum Azores blueberry
Vaccinium corymbosum 'Bluecrop'
View
Select
Vaccinium corymbosum 'Bluecrop' Highbush blueberry 'Bluecrop'
Vaccinium glaucoalbum
View
Select
Vaccinium glaucoalbum Grey-white blueberry
Vaccinium corymbosum 'Chandler'
View
Select
Vaccinium corymbosum 'Chandler' Highbush blueberry 'Chandler'
Vaccinium corymbosum 'Berkeley'
View
Select
Vaccinium corymbosum 'Berkeley' Highbush blueberry 'Berkeley'
Vaccinium 'Earliblue'
View
Select
Vaccinium 'Earliblue' Highbush blueberry 'Earliblue'
Vaccinium macrocarpon
View
Select
Vaccinium macrocarpon Cranberry
Vaccinium corymbosum 'Spartan'
View
Select
Vaccinium corymbosum 'Spartan' Highbush blueberry 'Spartan'
Vaccinium corymbosum 'Northland'
View
Select
Vaccinium corymbosum 'Northland' Blueberry 'Northland'
Vaccinium corymbosum 'Blue Jay'
View
Select
Vaccinium corymbosum 'Blue Jay' Highbush blueberry 'Blue Jay'
Vaccinium 'Brigitta'
View
Select
Vaccinium 'Brigitta' Highbush blueberry 'Brigitta'
Vaccinium 'Herbert'
View
Select
Vaccinium 'Herbert' Highbush blueberry 'Herbert'
Vaccinium vitis-idaea
View
Select
Vaccinium vitis-idaea Cowberry
Vaccinium corymbosum 'Ozarkblue'
View
Select
Vaccinium corymbosum 'Ozarkblue' Highbush blueberry 'Ozarkblue'
Vaccinium 'Top Hat'
View
Select
Vaccinium 'Top Hat' Blueberry 'Top Hat'
Vaccinium vitis-idaea 'Red Candy'
View
Select
Vaccinium vitis-idaea 'Red Candy' Cowberry 'Red Candy'
Vaccinium corymbosum 'Hardyblue'
View
Select
Vaccinium corymbosum 'Hardyblue' Highbush blueberry 'Hardyblue'
Vaccinium corymbosum 'Ama'
View
Select
Vaccinium corymbosum 'Ama' Highbush blueberry 'Ama'
Vaccinium 'Pink Lemonade'
View
Select
Vaccinium 'Pink Lemonade' Blueberry 'Pink Lemonade'
Vaccinium corymbosum 'Duke'
View
Select
Vaccinium corymbosum 'Duke' Highbush blueberry 'Duke'
Vaccinium corymbosum 'Patriot'
View
Select
Vaccinium corymbosum 'Patriot' Swamp blueberry 'Patriot'
Vaccinium corymbosum 'Darrow'
View
Select
Vaccinium corymbosum 'Darrow' Highbush blueberry 'Darrow'
Vaccinium corymbosum 'Reka'
View
Select
Vaccinium corymbosum 'Reka' Blueberry 'Reka'
Select all Deselect all Add to a plant list

Companion plants (0)

Related content

Discuss Vaccinium vitis-idaea with other Shoot members

Re: Re: v. vitis-idaea var minus, anyone?

Shoot User
496 0
Thanks, Kathy! Could you tell me the names of the nurseries you mention? I've been all over the Net without success.
Posted: Thursday 30th of April 2015 06:12 PM

Re: v. vitis-idaea var minus, anyone?

Kathy N
496 1
Hi, Joanna,
Not sure where you are located but there is a nursery in Cumbria, one in Scotland, and one in Gloucestershire that supposedly have it.
Kathy C
Posted: Thursday 23rd of April 2015 10:26 PM

v. vitis-idaea var minus, anyone?

Shoot User
496 1
I'm looking for the very dwarf North-American vaccinium vitis-idaea ssp.minus -- or seeds thereof. If anyone can give me a source (seeds can be from anywhere of course), I'd be grateful.
Posted: Saturday 11th of April 2015 06:15 AM Last reply: Saturday 1st of March 2025 12:53 AM

Great for jam

Shoot User
769 0
If I had the space in my garden I would plant several of these in an easy to pick location, because when the berries are ripe they make marvellous jam. Bear in mind that you will need plenty of sugar as this berry is rather acid.
Posted: Thursday 14th of May 2009 06:34 PM Last reply: Saturday 1st of March 2025 11:38 AM
Read more
TOP