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EXPLORE > PLANTS > ANGIOSPERMS
Vaccinium ocycoccus
The cranberry is a medium-sized evergreen shrub native to the northern parts of North America including the Pacific Northwest. There are three varieties of wild cranberry on the continent in addition to several domesticated varieties used in commercially sold products such as sauces, juices and compotes. The wild plant common to Oregon (Vaccinium ocycoccus) is often called a bog or swamp cranberry due to its preference for wet, peaty soil. It can often be found growing in close proximity to ponds and lakes, particularly in coastal areas.
Cranberries have become a high profile food in recent years due to their health benefits, particularly as an antioxidant which slows the affects of aging and as a potential preventative for certain types of cancer. The Native Americans of the Pacific Northwest used the berries extensively for medicinal purposes. Drinking its juice could often relieve urinary tract and bladder infections.
A variety of birds and mammals rely on the cranberry fruit as a staple of their diets, including the Roosevelt elk, black-tailed deer, gray fox, chipmunks and hares. The black bear can consume large quantities of the berries in a single day. Birds such as the great blue heron and Canada goose may both forage on the plants and use them for nesting material.
Distribution
Aside from growing wild, domesticated cranberries are cultivated extensively in Oregon, particularly on the South Coast.
Conservation Status
Common.
Vaccinium ocycoccus
The cranberry is a medium-sized evergreen shrub native to the northern parts of North America including the Pacific Northwest. There are three varieties of wild cranberry on the continent in addition to several domesticated varieties used in commercially sold products such as sauces, juices and compotes. The wild plant common to Oregon (Vaccinium ocycoccus) is often called a bog or swamp cranberry due to its preference for wet, peaty soil. It can often be found growing in close proximity to ponds and lakes, particularly in coastal areas.
Cranberries have become a high profile food in recent years due to their health benefits, particularly as an antioxidant which slows the affects of aging and as a potential preventative for certain types of cancer. The Native Americans of the Pacific Northwest used the berries extensively for medicinal purposes. Drinking its juice could often relieve urinary tract and bladder infections.
A variety of birds and mammals rely on the cranberry fruit as a staple of their diets, including the Roosevelt elk, black-tailed deer, gray fox, chipmunks and hares. The black bear can consume large quantities of the berries in a single day. Birds such as the great blue heron and Canada goose may both forage on the plants and use them for nesting material.
Distribution
Aside from growing wild, domesticated cranberries are cultivated extensively in Oregon, particularly on the South Coast.
Conservation Status
Common.
