No Thanksgiving table would be complete without the classic cranberry sauce. Sweet, tart and cool, rich in nutrients and antioxidants—no matter what recipe your family favors, it’s one of those tasty items that makes everyone smack their lips in anticipation of holiday dinners.

Legend has it that Native Americans gave cranberries to the early settlers in Massachusetts and that cranberries graced the table of the first Thanksgiving. But a recent report, “Global Climate Change Impacts in the United States” by the United States Global Change Research Program, warns that within several decades, cranberries won’t be able to grow in Massachusetts at all.

The report states that climate change is already impacting the wet bogs where cranberries grow and, over the next several decades, winters will be much shorter and warmer—between 2.5 and 4 degrees higher in temperature—in the cranberry-rich lands of the Northeastern United States.

What does that mean?

Just as we need our 7-8 hours of sleep every night, plants and trees need the rest that winter brings. The report notes that fruit such as berries and apples need between 400 and 1800 hours of below-45-degree Fahrenheit temperatures in order for the plants to bear fruit in the growing season. A warmer growing season also means more weeds, insects and higher chances of plant diseases. And climate change can cause extreme weather conditions such as heavy downpours or droughts that may destroy fruit crops.

Cranberries may be known as “superfruits” but with all those factors working against it, these little guys have a tough battle ahead.

Want to make your own cranberry sauce this Thanksgiving? Click here for an easy, all-natural version of this iconic Thanksgiving staple.

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