As with all viburnums, the highbush cranberry is a decorative addition to the garden. Flat flower clusters are 2 to 4 inches across, with a small group of flowers in the center and a margin of large flowers rimming the outside. Blooms are white, followed by red cranberrylike berries that start in midsummer and continue through winter. Plants grow to 12 feet, with lobed, maplelike leaves that turn red in fall.
Soil: Average, well drained
Light: Full sun or part shade
Zone: 3
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In the garden, highbush cranberry serves as a decorative hedge, screen planting, or specimen, requiring little pruning. Beyond that, the berries are edible and good in jams and jellies. This plant does best in the north, because it likes a cold dormant period. A compact variety reaches only 5 feet.