Vaccinium oxycoccos
| Vaccinium oxycoccos | |
| Light: |   |
| Moisture: |   |
| Hardiness: | 2 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-6.5 |
| Evergreen Self Pollinated | |
| Height: | 0.3' |
| Width: | 3' |
| Speed: | Fast |
| Blooms: | Early Summer-Late Summer |
| Native to: | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Medicinal Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
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Vaccinium oxycoccos (common name: small cranberry)
Propagation: Seed - sow late winter in a greenhouse in a lime-free potting mix and only just cover the seed[1]. Stored seed might require a period of up to 3 months cold stratification[2]. Another report says that it is best to sow the seed in a greenhouse as soon as it is ripe[3]. Once they are about 5cm tall, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in a lightly shaded position in the greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts.
Cuttings of half-ripe wood, 5 - 8cm with a heel, August in a frame[1]. Slow and difficult.
Layering in late summer or early autumn[1]. Another report says that spring is the best time to layer[3]. Takes 18 months[1].
Division of suckers in spring or early autumn[2].
Cultivation: Requires a moist or wet lime free soil, preferring one that is rich in peat or a light loamy soil with added leaf-mould[4][3]. Prefers a very acid soil with a pH in the range of 4.5 to 6, plants soon become chlorotic when lime is present. Succeeds in full sun or light shade though it fruits better in a sunny position[3]. Requires shelter from strong winds[3].
The fruit often persists on the plant all winter without rotting[3].
Dislikes root disturbance, plants are best grown in pots until being planted out in their permanent positions[3].
Plants in this genus are notably resistant to honey fungus[3].
Range: Europe, including Britain, from Scandanavia south and east to France, Roumania, N. Asia to Japan.
Habitat: Acid boggy land[5].
Edibility: Fruit - raw or cooked[6][7][5][8][9][10]. Considered by some to be the most pleasantly-flavoured of British wild fruits[4]. The fruit is high in pectin[11], this means that it can be mixed with fruits that are low in pectin to help them set when making jam[K]. Pectin has also been shown to have a valuable role in the diet, where it is said to protect the body against radiation[12]. An acid taste, the fruits are usually cooked in preserves etc[13][3]. Although smaller than the related V. macrocarpon, the fruit of this species is considered to be of superior taste[13]. The fruit is about 6mm in diameter[3].
A tea is made from the leaves[7][10].
Medicinal: An infusion of the plant has been used to treat cases of slight nausea[10].
Usage: The juice of the fruit is used to clean silver[14].
A red dye is obtained from the fruit[7].
Plants can be grown as a ground cover when planted about 1 metre apart each way[15]. Plants rapidly form a dense carpet when they are thriving[15].
Pollinators: Bees, self
Notes: This will thrive almost anywhere with you, so long as it is not to shady.
We can obtain plants for you if you cannot find them.
Soil: Can grow in light and medium soils.
In Leaf: Evergreen
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Also Known As: Oxycoccus palustris. O. quadripetalus.
Links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Sheat, Wilfrid. Propagation of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers. St Martin, 1948.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Dirr, Michael and Charles Heuser. The Reference Manual of Woody Plant Propagation. Athens Ga. Varsity Press, 1987.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 3.8 3.9 Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Bean, William. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Murray, 1981.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Clapham, Arthur and Tom Tootin, Edmund Warburg. Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge University Press, 1962.
- ↑ Hedrick, Ulysses. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications, 1972.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Triska, Jan. Encyclopaedia of Plants. Hamlyn, 1975.
- ↑ Turner, Nancy. Edible Wild Fruits and Nuts of Canada. National Museum of Natural Sciences, 1978.
- ↑ Hill, Albert. Economic Botany. The Maple Press, 1952.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 Moerman, Daniel. Native American Ethnobotany. Timber Press, 1998.
- ↑ Schofield, Janice. Discovering Wild Plants.
- ↑ Allardice, Pamela. A-Z of Companion Planting. Cassell Publishers, 1993.
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 Facciola, Stephen. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications, 1990.
- ↑ Mabey, Richard. Plants with a Purpose. Fontana, 1979.
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 Thomas, Graham. Plants for Ground Cover. Everyman, 1990.