Washington Native Plant Society: Starflower Image Herbarium

Home > Landscaping > Native Plants for Western Washington Gardens and Restoration Projects

Arctostaphylos uva-ursi

Kinnikinnick, Bearberry

At a Glance: A mat-forming evergreen shrub producing lovely pink flowers that later turn into red berries.

Height: Can grow up to 8 inches (20 cm) tall.
Growth Form: Shrub.
Stems: The velvety red-brownish branches are long, flexible and rooting. Pure stands of kinnikinnick can grow to be very dense.
Leaves: Leaves are alternate, oval in shape, dark green, shiny above and paler beneath with a leathery texture; size: up to 3 cm (1 in) long.
Flowers: Small pink bell-shaped flowers in few-flowered drooping terminal clusters; size: 5 mm long.
Flowering Period: March, April.
Fruits: Kinnikinnick berries are called drupes and ripen late, continuing to stay on plants into winter. Each drupe contains 1 to 5 large very hard seeds. Drup size: 7-10 mm across; color: red.


Photo © 2004, Starflower Foundation

Sun/Shade Tolerance	Hydrology	Elevation Range
full sun > 80% mostly sunny 60%-80% partial sun and shade 40%- 60% mostly shady 60%-80% full shade > 80%	wet moist dry Wetland Indicator Status: NI (no indicator data)	low elevation mid elevation sub-alpine high elevation

Soil Preferences
Prefers coarse, well-drained soils.
sandy soils gravelly soils clay soils muddy soils peaty soils	well drained soils shallow soils deep soils acidic soils basic soils	humic soils nutrient rich soils nutrient poor soils mineral soils organic soils

Habitat Preferences
Aquatic and Wetland: Ponds or lakes Shallow pools Sloughs Swales or wet ditches Seasonally inundated areas Marshes or swamps Aquatic bed wetlands Emergent wetlands Scrub-shrub wetlands Forested wetlands Bogs, fens Seeps, springs Shorelines and Riparian: Lake shores Bog margins Streams or rivers Stream or river banks Riparian corridors River bars Floodplains Bottomlands Alluvial areas	Saltwater Areas: In or near saltwater Mud flats Tidal areas Estuaries Saltmarshes Brackish water Seashores Coastal dunes or beaches Rocky or Gravelly Areas: Coastal bluffs Cliffs Rocky slopes Outcrops Crevices Glacial outwash Gullies Slide areas Sub-alpine and Alpine: Heaths Snow beds Tundra Avalanche tracks	Forests and Thickets: Forests and woods Open forests Coniferous forests Old growth forests Deciduous forests Mixed forests Nurse logs Forest edges, openings, or clearings Thickets Meadows and Fields: Pastures or fields Meadows or grassy areas Mossy areas Disturbed Areas: Roadsides Trailsides Logged sites Burned areas Disturbed sites

Wildlife Value
Berries Seeds Nectar for hummingbirds Nectar for butterflies Host for insect larvae Thickets and shelter Thorny or protective cover	Birds: The berries are consumed by ruffed grouse, band-tailed pigeons, evening grosbeaks, sparrows, and other ground-feeding birds. Insects: The flowers attract bees and brown elfin butterflies. Mammals: The berries are browsed by bears, foxes, and coyotes. The twigs are browsed by deer.

Ethnobotanical Uses and Other Facts

Landscape Uses: Good groundcover for dry places, banks. The berries persist into the winter.

Suggested References

Jacobson A.L. 2001. Wild Plants of Greater Seattle. Published by author. Page 124.
Link, R. 1999. Landscaping for Wildlife in the Pacific Northwest. University of Washington Press. Page 271.
Lyons, C., W. Merilees. Trees and Shrubs to Know in Washington and British Columbia. Lone Pine Publishing. Page 119.
Pojar, J., A. Mackinnon. 1994. Plants of the Pacific Northwest Coast. Lone Pine Publishing. Page 67.

The landscaping and restoration information provided on this page is taken from Starflower Foundation Image Herbarium. All photographs © Starflower Foundation unless otherwise noted.