Why the name cranberry then, you may wonder. There is a story behind that as well. When the first Europeans came to America, they saw these strange fruits, whose flowers and buds resembled the body parts, specifically the head, neck, and beak, of the Great Sandhill Crane, a bird that was often found in the same areas where this berry grew. The Europeans called this fruit craneberry, because they looked like the cranes. Later, this got shortened to ‘cranberries’.

The Scientific Name for Cranberries?

As we know, all plants and animals are categorized as belonging to different families. Based on this classification, and further sub-classification, all plants and animals are divided into different species. The cranberries, thus, have been categorized as being in the Ricaceae family.

There are three to four different varieties of cranberries within the Ricaceae family. Each variety has a different scientific name. (A scientific name, as we all know, consists of the genus name and the species name.) The different types of cranberries go by the following scientific names:

Vaccinium macrocarpum:

This is also known as the large cranberry or the American cranberry.This is the one, as the name suggests that grows mostly in America. It is large in size, again as the name suggests.

Vaccinium oxycoccus:

This is also called the Small Bush Cranberry.

Vaccinium erythrocarpum:

This cranberry type goes by the name Southern Mountain Cranberry.

Vaccinium vitis:

This species of cranberry is called the Lowbush Cranberry.

Where do Cranberries Grow?

Cranberries mainly thrive in sandy soil and bogs. They are mainly seen in the regions between Newfoundland, down to North Carolina, and also westwards to Minnesota. In terms of production, the state that produces the most cranberries in the US is Wisconsin, while Massachusetts comes a close second. Massachusetts alone produces about 2 million barrels of cranberries annually!

After 1816, the people started systematic cultivation of the cranberries. This basically involved creation of man-made bogs where the cranberries were grown. That is how they are grown even today. The first such man-made bog was built by Benjamin Thomas in Burlington County.

Chemical Composition of Cranberries

Basically, cranberries have a very rich chemical composition. They are formed chemically of triterpinoids, a range of acids, such as benzoic acid, citric acid, malic acid, quinic acid, ascorbic acid, leptosine glycosides, glucuornic acid, catechin, as well as alkaloids and anthocyanin dyes. The different combinations of these are what provide the rich variety of medicinal benefits associated with cranberries.

The Benefits of Cranberries >>