Bog Cranberry (Lingonberry) vs Junegrass - TreeTime.ca

Bog Cranberry (Lingonberry) vs Junegrass

Vaccinium vitis-idaea

Koeleria macrantha

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON

(new stock expected: fall of 2026)

Bog Cranberry (Lingonberry)
Junegrass

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.

Junegrass is a native, low-growing perennial bunchgrass commonly found in prairies and open woodlands. It is a great choice for prairie restoration and naturalization projects or an attractive accent in ornamental plantings. Spear-shaped seed heads rise above the gray-green lower leaves, maturing to a tan color. Flowering earlier than other upright prairie grasses, it greens up quickly in spring and maintains its appeal well into the fall. It is shorter in stature and rarely forms thick stands, which adds to its understated visual appeal.

Adapted to cooler climates, Junegrass thrives in well-drained, rocky, sandy, or gritty soils and can tolerate drought, cold, and high altitudes. It actively grows in spring and fall when soil temperatures are cool, but in areas that are too hot or humid, it may go dormant by late summer.

As a perennial, it dies back to the crown each winter, it will regrow from the base in the spring. Avoid disturbing the crown during late winter to ensure healthy growth the following season.

Bog Cranberry (Lingonberry) Quick Facts

Junegrass Quick Facts

Zone: 2a
Zone: 3a
Height: 0.2 m (0.7 ft)
Height: 0.5 m (1.5 ft)
Spread: 0.9 m (3 ft)
Spread: 0.3 m (1.0 ft)
Moisture: normal, wet
Moisture: dry, normal
Light: partial shade, full sun
Light: full sun
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no
Berries: tart, cranberry-like
Flowers: white or pink
Growth rate: slow
Growth rate: very fast
Life span: medium
Life span: short
Suckering: low
Suckering: none




Other Names: cowberry, dry ground cranberry, fox berry, foxberry, lingonberry, northern mountain cranberry, partridgeberry, rock cranberry, wolf berry, wolf-berry
Other Names: koeleria cristata, prairie junegrass, prairie koelers grass