Mooseberry Highbush Cranberry

Viburnum edule

Adoxaceae, Caprifoliaceae · broadleaf deciduous shrub · native

Last updated May 11, 2026

Mooseberry (highbush cranberry, squashberry) is a native broadleaf shrub reaching 2-12 ft with erect, thicket-forming growth. It produces small milky-white flowers in terminal clusters and forms red fruit that persists into fall.

Mooseberry is hardy in zones 5a-8b and prefers part shade with wet-tolerant soil (pH 5.0-7.3). Growth is fast with slight toxicity in the plant parts. It is long-lived and suited to naturally moist conditions with abundant precipitation.

Plant Profile

Size & Form

Height

2–12 ft

Growth Rate

Fast

Size at 20 yr

12 ft

Lifespan

Short-lived

Site Requirements

Light

Part Shade

Soil Drainage

Wet Tolerant

Soil pH

5.0-7.3

Drought Tolerance

Low

Hardiness

Zones 5a–8b

Ornamental Interest

Bloom Time

late spring

Origin

Pacific Northwest native

Powdery MildewHigh

Active Conidial Spread

Viburnum leaf beetleHigh

Larval Hatching & Feeding

Root weevilModerate

Adult Emergence & Foliar Feeding

Diseases: Regionally Documented (7)

Symptom category — not a single disease Leaf Spot Botrytis Shoot Blight Ramorum Blight (Sudden Oak Death) Multiple obligate biotrophic fungi (Erysiphales: Erysipha... Powdery Mildew Bacterial blight (Leaf spot) Symptom category — not a single disease Root Rot Botryosphaeria corticis Stem Canker

Pests: Regionally Documented (3)

Pyrrhalta viburni Viburnum leaf beetle Otiorhynchus spp. Root weevil Aphis fabae Bean aphid

Phenological Calendar

View full calendar (8 stages)

Stage	Typical Window	What to Look For
Bud break BBCH 07	Feb 15-Mar 15	Buds swelling and beginning to open; first green tissue visible
Leaf emergence BBCH 11	Mar 1-Apr 1	First leaves fully unfurled on new growth
Bloom start BBCH 61	May 1-May 31	First open flowers visible; flowers white
Bloom end / petal fall BBCH 69	May 15-Jun 15	Last petals falling; flower structures fading
Fruit/seed development BBCH 71	Jun 1-Aug 31	Fruit or seed structures forming; fruit color: red
Fruit/seed maturity BBCH 85	Sep 1-Nov 30	Fruit fully colored and ripened; seed dispersal may begin
Fall color / leaf senescence BBCH 93	Oct 1-Nov 15	Leaves changing color; fall display beginning
Dormancy BBCH 97	Nov 15-Feb 28	Leafless; no active growth; dormant buds set

Data Maturity

Structured Multiple sources. Expert review underway.