This species is often treated as a distinct species (Viburnum trilobum Marshall). A review of the entire genus is currently (2016) underway (https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1145606&HistoricalAwards=false) and pending the outcome of this we are following the treatment in the Flora of N. America[] and the GRIN taxonomy database which treat it as a variety of Viburnum opulus[]..

Common Name: American Cranberry

General Information

Viburnum opulus americanum is a deciduous shrub with a dense, rounded, spreading crown; it forms a thicket of erect grey stems up to 4 metres tall[].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food and a medicine. It has at times been cultivated for its edible fruit, and is also grown as an ornamental in gardens, where it can be used as a hedge[].

Known Hazards

Large quantities of the fruit can cause vomiting and diarrhoea[, ]. The fruit is of very low or zero toxicity, it only causes mild upsets when eaten unripe or in large quantities[, ].

Botanical References

,

Range

N. America - British Colombia to Newfoundland, south to Washington, Nebraska and Virginia

Habitat

Stream banks[]. Low moist ground[]. Swampy woods, bogs, lake margins, pastures, thickets, slopes and moist low places[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Deciduous Shrub
Height	3.00 m
Pollinators	Insects, Self
Self-fertile	Yes
Cultivation Status	Cultivated, Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

An easily grown plant, it succeeds in most soils but is ill-adapted for poor soils and for dry situations[]. It grows well in heavy clay soils. Established plants are drought tolerant[]. Prefers a deep rich loamy soil in sun or semi-shade[, ]. Best if given shade from the early morning sun in spring[].
Any pruning that is required is best carried out immediately after flowering since this promotes the new growth where flower buds are initiated[].
This species is considered by some botanists to be no more than a superior fruiting form of Viburnum opulus that was taken to America by early settlers[].
Occasionally cultivated for its edible fruit, there are some named varieties[].
The fruit is very attractive to birds[].
Some reports say that this species is self-fertile[, ] whilst others say it is self-incompatible[]. It is probably best to grow at least two different cultivars in order to produce fruit and fertile seed[, ].

Edible Uses

Fruit - raw or cooked[, , , ]. Juicy but acid, the taste is best after a frost[, , ]. The fruits are rich in vitamin C, they are an excellent substitute for cranberries and are used in preserves, jams etc[]. A jam made from the fruit has a very pleasant flavour that goes well in a porridge[]. The fruit is about 8mm in diameter and contains a single large seed[].

Medicinal

An infusion of the roots has been used in the treatment of prolapse of the uterus[]. A decoction has been given to babies with fevers[].

A decoction of the branches has been used to treat a fallen womb after birth[].

The bark is laxative[]. An infusion of the roots has been used to make a person vomit in the treatment of bad blood and fevers[].
An infusion of the inner bark has been used to treat stomach cramps[].

The bark yields a powerful antispasmodic (whence the origin of one its American common names, crampbark). The
water-soluble preparation (containing a bitter compound called viburnine) has been used for the relief of menstrual and stomach cramps and asthma[].
The antispasmodic properties apparently were discovered independently by European, Native American, and Asian peoples. The action of this agent from highbush cranberry closely resembles that of black haw (Viburnum prunifolium)[].

Agroforestry Uses:

The plant can be used to make a hedge[].

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed - best sown in a cold frame as soon as it is ripe. Germination can be slow, sometimes taking more than 18 months. If the seed is harvested 'green' (when it has fully developed but before it has fully ripened) and sown immediately in a cold frame, it should germinate in the spring[]. Stored seed will require 2 months warm then 3 months cold stratification and can still take 18 months to germinate[]. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and grow them on in a cold frame or greenhouse. Plant out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer of the following year.
Cuttings of soft-wood, early summer in a frame[]. Pot up into individual pots once they start to root and plant them out in late spring or early summer of the following year.
Cuttings of half-ripe wood, 5 - 8 cm long with a heel if possible, mid summer in a frame[, ]. Plant them into individual pots as soon as they start to root. These cuttings can be difficult to overwinter, it is best to keep them in a greenhouse or cold frame until the following spring before planting them out[].
Cuttings of mature wood, winter in a frame. They should root in early spring - pot them up when large enough to handle and plant them out in the summer if sufficient new growth is made, otherwise keep them in a cold frame for the next winter and then plant them out in the spring.
Layering of current seasons growth in mid summer. Takes 15 months[].