highbush cranberry

noun

: a shrubby or arborescent viburnum (Viburnum opulus synonym V. opulus var. opulus of Eurasia and northern Africa and V. opulus var. americanum synonym V. trilobum of northern North America) that has prominently 3-lobed leaves, clusters of small white flowers, and shiny, acidic, red fruit typically eaten cooked (as in jams and sauces)

Note: The highbush cranberry native to Europe and northern Africa has become naturalized in North America following its use as an ornamental and is now often considered to be an invasive species.

called also cranberry bush

see also guelder rose

Examples of highbush cranberry in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The book’s endpapers are illustrated with berries labeled in both English and Tlingit—highbush cranberry (kaxwéix), lingonberry (dáxw), black currant (kaneilts’ákw) and more. —Megan Gambino, Smithsonian Magazine, 19 Dec. 2022

Alaska’s northern woodlands feel uniquely Alaskan, from the dense brush and spindly evergreen trees to the distinctive seasonal scents of labrador tea, wild rose and highbush cranberry. —Anchorage Museum, Anchorage Daily News, 22 Nov. 2021

Perhaps the best native viburnums for hedging are the arrowwood (viburnum dentatum), which can grow 6 to 10 feet tall and wide, and the highbush cranberry (Viburnum opulus var. —BostonGlobe.com, 29 Aug. 2021

Along with hunting, which is the primary contributor to bear mortality in Minnesota, statewide failures of dogwood, hazelnut, highbush cranberry, acorns and other berries in 1995 and 2001 contributed to the precipitous decline. —Star Tribune, 28 Jan. 2021

Word History

First Known Use

1805, in the meaning defined above