Cranberries are low-growing, woody, perennial vines with small, alternate, and ovate leaves. The plant produces stolons (horizontal stems) having a height of up to 6 feet (2 m). Short, vertical branches, or uprights, 2–8 inches (5–20 cm) in height, grow from buds on the stolons, and these can be either vegetative or fruiting. Each fruiting upright may contain as much as seven flowers. Pollination is primarily via domestic honeybees (Cranberry Institute, East Wareham, Massachusetts). Cranberries were first used by Native Americans, who discovered the wild berry’s versatility. Native Americans used cranberries in a variety of foods, the most popular being pemmican, a high-protein combination of crushed cranberries, dried deer meat, and melted fat. They also used it as a medicine to treat arrow wounds and as a dye for rugs and blankets.
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