Highbush Cranberry 'Wentworth'

Highbush Cranberry (Viburnum opulus var. americanum, also sold as V. trilobum) is the native American highbush cranberry: a big, arching shrub that blooms in lacy white clusters in early summer and hangs heavy in fall with glossy scarlet fruit that persists into winter.^1, 2 We offer it two ways: the named fruiting selection ‘Wentworth’ in a 5″ eco-pot, and native seedlings as a bare-root bundle of 3.

Pre-order: both begin shipping in mid-November 2026. Choose your plant above, and see the comparison table at the bottom of the page.

Plant both for better fruit set. Highbush cranberry sets fruit on its own, but crops are usually heavier when a genetically different plant is nearby to cross-pollinate. Every ‘Wentworth’ is a clone of the same plant, so a second ‘Wentworth’ won’t help, while each native seedling is genetically unique. One ‘Wentworth’ plus a bundle of seedlings gives you a pollination partner and a fruiting hedgerow.

Edible & Medicinal Uses

‘Wentworth’ is one of a handful of native selections chosen for good fruit and processing quality; seedlings bear the same kind of fruit, with more variation from plant to plant.¹ The berries are sharply tart and astringent raw, but cooked and sweetened they make an excellent jelly, sauce, or juice in the role of true cranberries — and their high pectin helps jelly set. Most of the astringency is in the seeds, so strain them out.^1, 2 Fruit picked slightly under-ripe has the brightest flavor; after a hard frost it softens and sweetens but can turn musty when cooked.¹ Some Indigenous peoples mashed and dried the berries into cakes, and the bark is the traditional “cramp bark” of herbal medicine.³

Ornamental Qualities

A large shrub to 8–12 ft (up to 15 ft unpruned) with three-lobed, maple-like leaves that turn red to purple in fall.^1, 2 Flat white lacecap flowers open in late spring to early summer — late enough to usually dodge spring frost — and are followed by drooping clusters of bright red fruit. ‘Wentworth’ ripens its lighter-red fruit earlier than ‘Phillips’.² Use it as an edible hedgerow, screen, or rain-garden backdrop with Pacific Crabapple and Black Gooseberry.

Environment & Culture

Ecology: The native American highbush cranberry ranges across northern North America from Newfoundland to British Columbia and south in the West into Washington, growing in moist open woods, streambanks, and wetland edges.^1, 3 Its flowers feed pollinators, it hosts the Spring Azure butterfly, and its fruit — usually left until it has frozen and thawed a few times — feeds waxwings, robins, grouse, and many mammals through winter.^1, 3

Culture: A traditional food and medicine plant for many northern and Northwest peoples. We offer it with respect for that knowledge and invite support for Indigenous-led restoration through our Charitable Giving page.³

Not the European bush: The European guelder rose (V. opulus var. opulus) looks nearly identical but has bitter fruit and is grown only as an ornamental. ‘Wentworth’ and our seedlings are the native, edible variety.¹

In the Kitchen

Simmer the berries with a little water, press out the seeds, then sweeten and cook down into a ruby jelly or a tart cranberry-style sauce for game and holiday dishes; the strained juice makes a vivid syrup. Always cook the fruit — unripe or raw berries in quantity can upset the stomach.³ (Growing and harvest details are on the Planting Guide tab.)

Attributes

• Native Range: Northern N. America, Newfoundland to British Columbia; south to Washington in the West¹
• USDA Zones: ~3–7²
• Light: Full sun for best fruit; tolerates part shade^1, 2
• Water: Consistently moist, well-drained¹
• Soil: Moist loam, pH ~6.0–7.5²
• Habit: Deciduous shrub, 8–12 ft (to 15 ft); red to purple fall color^1, 2
• Harvest: Late August–October; ‘Wentworth’ is an early-ripening selection^1, 2
• Bearing Age: 2–3 years (‘Wentworth’); about 3–5 years (seedlings)
• Pollination: Self-fruitful; heavier crops with a genetically different plant nearby
• Edible: Fruit, cooked — strain seeds for jelly, sauce, juice²

Wentworth or Native Seedlings?

References

1. USDA NRCS Plant Guide, Highbush Cranberry, Viburnum opulus var. americanum.
2. UW–Madison CIAS, Uncommon Fruits: American Highbush Cranberry.
3. Native Plants PNW, “American Cranberrybush, Viburnum opulus.”

Pot Sizing Guide