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Vaccinium macrocarpon 'Pilgrim' (F)

American cranberry 'Pilgrim'

An attractive, low growing, evergreen shrub with a lax, spreading habit that makes it ideally suited to container growing. Dark green foliage turns a brilliant bronze in winter and pink flowers in summer are followed by bright red, edible fruits in autumn

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Ultimate height

0.1–0.5 metres

Time to ultimate height

10–20 years

Ultimate spread

0.1–0.5 metres

Loam

Sand

Moisture

Moist but well–drained, Well–drained

pH

Acid

	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Full sun
Partial shade

Aspect

East–facing or North–facing or South–facing or West–facing

Exposure

Exposed or Sheltered

Hardiness
Hardiness ratings
All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets
H1a: under glass all year (>15C)
H1b: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
H1c: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20)

Botanical details

Family: Ericaceae
Native to GB / Ireland: No
Foliage: Evergreen
Habit: Spreading branched
Genus: Vaccinium can be evergreen or deciduous shrubs or small trees, with simple leaves and small, bell- or urn-shaped flowers followed by juicy, sometimes edible berries
Name status: Accepted

How to grow

Cultivation

Grow in full sun to partial shade in moist but well drained acidic soil. Suited to boggy conditions, keep moist all year. See blueberry cultivation and How to grow your own blueberries

Propagation

Propagate by taking softwood cuttings in late spring or semi-ripe cuttings in early summer

Suggested planting locations and garden types

Patio and container plants
Ground cover
Edible fruit

Pruning

Prune after harvesting to stimulate the production of vigorous uprights that will bear more fruit. Remove deadwood. See pruning blueberries

Pests

May be susceptible to caterpillars

Diseases

May be susceptible to honey fungus (rarely), powdery mildews, root rot and chlorosis due to iron and manganese deficiency; see nutrient deficiencies

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