Flower profile

Large cranberry

Vaccinium macrocarpon

Large cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon) is a shrub in the Ericaceae family, native in the lower 48 states, blooming mostly June–July across the U.S.

Native in the lower 48

Large cranberry is a flowering plant that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. It's on our flower lists for 2 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in June–July.

24states where USDA records it

2Bloomipedia state lists include it

5,882U.S. sightings*

*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.

On our lists for: Maine, New Jersey

Quick look

Vaccinium macrocarpon, also called large cranberry, American cranberry and bearberry, is a North American species of cranberry.
From Wikipedia's article Vaccinium macrocarpon, CC BY-SA 4.0.

It belongs to the Ericaceae family. ^iNaturalist
USDA PLANTS describes it as a shrub / a subshrub with a perennial life cycle. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 24 states. ^{USDA PLANTS}
NatureServe lists it as native to New Jersey and Maine. ^NatureServe
In New Jersey, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in May–July. ^iNaturalist
In Maine, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in June–July. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 978 research-grade sightings of it in New Jersey, ranking #95 among the 186 flowers on our New Jersey list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 878 research-grade sightings of it in Maine, ranking #87 among the 160 flowers on our Maine list. ^iNaturalist

When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (350 records)

Bloom time in the 2 states whose Bloomipedia list includes it

State	Type	Peak bloom	Sightings*
New Jersey	Native	May–July	978
Maine	Native	June–July	878

Conservation status

Federal (U.S. ESA): Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. ^{USFWS ECOS}
NatureServe global: G5 Secure worldwide. ^NatureServe
New Jersey: Not listed Not on New Jersey Endangered Plant Species List (N.J.A.C. 7:5C-5.1). NatureServe: S5, secure in New Jersey. ^{N.J.A.C. 7:5C-5.1}
Maine: Not listed Not on Maine Rare Plant List (Maine Natural Areas Program, 2021). E and T are Maine's official endangered and threatened plants (12 M.R.S.); SC and PE are tracking categories. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Maine. ^{Maine rare plant list}
Rare elsewhere: Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: IL (S1), NC (S2), SD (S1), TN (S2), VA (S2). (S1 critically imperiled, S2 imperiled, SH possibly extirpated, SX presumed extirpated.)

Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.

Can you eat it?

For peopleEdible (per NC State Extension)

NC State Extension notes: “Edible berries” ^{NC State Extension}

For petsNot well documented

It isn't on the ASPCA plant list, and NC State Extension doesn't flag it for pets.

🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.

Where does it grow?

USDA PLANTS records large cranberry in 24 states.

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recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

California, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin.

New Jersey counties with USDA records: Atlantic, Bergen, Burlington, Camden, Cape May, Essex, Hudson, Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex, Monmouth, Morris, Ocean, Passaic, Salem, Sussex.

Maine counties with USDA records: Androscoggin, Aroostook, Cumberland, Franklin, Hancock, Kennebec, Knox, Lincoln, Oxford, Penobscot, Piscataquis, Sagadahoc, Somerset, Waldo, Washington, York.

Names, range and relatives

Native status by region (USDA PLANTS): Canada: Native; Lower 48 states: Native; St. Pierre and Miquelon: Native.

Other scientific names (synonyms in USDA PLANTS): Oxycoccus macrocarpus.

County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 343 counties across 22 states; the most are in Michigan (51), New York (48), Pennsylvania (43).

Other Vaccinium on Bloomipedia (10): Sparkleberry, Lingonberry, Lowbush blueberry, Bog bilberry, Shiny blueberry, Grouse whortleberry, Thinleaf huckleberry, 'ohelo 'ai, Mayberry, ʻōhelo kau lāʻau.

More from the Ericaceae family (55 on Bloomipedia; most observed first): Ghost pipe, Rhododendrons and azaleas, Striped wintergreen, Mountain laurel, Eastern teaberry (wintergreen), Salal, Woodland pinedrops, Pinesap.

More New Jersey flowers

Striped wintergreen

Chimaphila maculata

Native

🌼 Blooms in NJ: June–July

Mountain laurel

Kalmia latifolia

★ CT state flowerNative

🌼 Blooms in NJ: May–June

American wintergreen

Pyrola americana

Native

🌼 Blooms in NJ: June–July

Sources

USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile VAMA.
iNaturalist, Vaccinium macrocarpon: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
Wikipedia, Vaccinium macrocarpon (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
New Jersey: New Jersey Endangered Plant Species List (N.J.A.C. 7:5C-5.1).
New Jersey: New Jersey prohibited invasive plant species (Invasive Species Management Act; propagation banned from Jan 1, 2027, sale from Jan 1, 2030).
Maine: Maine Rare Plant List (Maine Natural Areas Program, 2021). E and T are Maine's official endangered and threatened plants (12 M.R.S.); SC and PE are tracking categories.
Maine: Maine Do Not Sell invasive plant list (01-001 C.M.R. ch. 273).
USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
NatureServe Explorer, Vaccinium macrocarpon (global and state ranks).
Edibility and toxicity: NC State Extension.
Photo: Lynn Harper via iNaturalist · CC0 · resized.