Bearberry (gallon)
Bearberry (gallon)
Bearberry (gallon)
Bearberry (gallon)
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Bearberry (gallon)

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$30.00
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$30.00
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Native Evergreen Shrub

Sun: Sun, Part Shade, Shade
Soil Description: Rocky or sandy, acid soils; soil should not be compacted around the plants; Do not fertilize
Soil Moisture:
Dry , Moist
Drought Tolerance: High
Cold Tolerant: Yes
Heat Tolerant: Yes
Height: 6-12 inches, spread up to 15 feet.
Bloom Color: White, Pink; urn-shaped, waxy
Bloom Time: Mar, Apr, May, Jun
Leaf: Glossy dark green, reddish in the winter.
Fruit: Bright red berry, 1/4 inch across
Deer Resistance: High
Attracts: Butterflies, Hummingbirds, Birds
Pollinator Benefit: Larval host for Hoary Elfin (Callophrys polia), Brown Elfin (C. augustinus), Freija Fritillary (Boloria freija);  Xerces society label: special value to native bees

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Bearberry (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi) 

Red bearberry is a trailing, evergreen shrub with paddle-shaped leaves on flexible branches. The thick, leathery leaves, rolled under at the edges, are yellow-green in spring, dark-green in summer, and reddish-purple in the fall. Nodding clusters of small, bell-shaped, pink or white flowers occur on bright-red stems. Flowers in racemes on short branches. Bright-red berries succeed the flowers and persist into winter. This ground-trailing shrub has the papery, reddish, exfoliating bark typical of woody plants in northern climates. It is frequently seen as a ground cover in sandy areas. It is a hardy shrub for landscaping rocky or sandy sites

In Greek arctos is "bear" and staphyle "grape," whereas in Latin uva is "a bunch of grapes" and ursus is "bear." The berries are indeed eaten by bears, as the name redundantly indicates. Kinnikinnick, an Algonquin word for many tobacco substitutes, is most frequently applied to this species, which also had many medicinal uses, including the alleged control of several sexually transmitted diseases. An astringent tea can be made by steeping the dried leaves in boiling water (sometimes used as a laxative). Bearberry is long lived, but grows very slowly. It has no serious disease or insect problems. The fruit is edible but mealy and tasteless; it is much favored by birds and other wildlife. The Okanogan-Colville cooked the berries with venison or salmon, or dried them into cakes and ate the cakes with salmon eggs. Various indigenous groups in California prepared a cider-like beverage from the berries. The Haida used it as a diuretic for kidney diseases and urinary tract infections.

Source: www.wildflowers.org