Bog Cranberry (Lingonberry) vs Cornelian Cherry Dogwood

Cornelian Cherry Dogwood is an ornamental plant with a variety of uses as it can be grown as a shrub, small tree, hedge, or privacy screen. The bright yellow flowers grow in clusters and bloom in late winter to early spring, providing an early food source for pollinators. They are visually striking as the flowers bloom before the leaves appear and last for several weeks.

Red, cherry-like fruits are produced in midsummer. They are edible but are better suited for preserves and syrups as the taste is fairly sour and astringent, similar to that of sour cherries and cranberries.

The Cornelian Cherry Dogwood was the winner of the Gold Medal Award from The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society as well as the Cary Award for having superior landscape appeal and for being winter hardy and pest resistant.

Bog Cranberry is a native, ground cover species. These plants generally produce one crop per year in summer. Plants may spread 3 feet in width forming a dense mat which makes it attractive as an ornamental ground cover.

Wild crops of Bog Cranberry are harvested each year in Newfoundland (more than 200,000 lbs/yr). Harvest of wild fruit can no longer keep up with demand. In Europe, 80 million pounds per year of this crop is grown or harvested from the wild.

Bog Cranberry flowers are similar in shape to those of blueberry and may be white or pink in color. These berries are considered to be highly flavored but not as tart as cranberries.

Check out our YouTube video of this plant in the fall: Fall Bog Cranberry.

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