Big Year for Highbush Cranberries (Viburnum edule)

Observation by Mike Brubaker:

I have never seen the cranberry bushes so high. The berry bushes were easily 6' to 7' tall. They were good sized, like pink salmon eggs. And not quite as tart as usual. I wonder if this is a result of hot summer and long growing season. No frost yet here.

Comments from LEO Editors:

According to the US Forest Service, the highbush cranberry, Viburnum edule or "squashberry," can grow between 2-12 feet tall. Highbush cranberries are common across Alaska and Canada, and can be found at higher altitudes as far south as Colorado. The highbush cranberry is shade tolerant, and often found under a canopy of deciduous or coniferous trees, but develops best under full sunlight.

Temperatures across Alaska during the summer of 2019 were unusually warm, with little precipitation in Southcentral. Fall temperatures were also mild. The Alaska Climate Research Center graphic below shows above average temperatures across Alaska during September. Daily temperature data for Seldovia show multiple days above the average high temperature for summer and fall. Erica Lujan

Comment from Fred Shanagin: The salmonberry bushes have a few buds here in Ouzinkie. 11-26-19