Kinnikinnick

Arctostaphylos uva-ursi

Ericaceae

• Spokane Native
• Sun-Shade
• 1’ tall x 3’ wide
• Fruit: bright red drupes
• Drought Tolerant: Yes
• Evergreen: yes
• Flower Color: white to pink (April - July)
• Wildlife Value: birds, butterflies, bees, hummingbirds, and mammals

Mat-forming evergreen shrub with long, flexible, trailing branches that root at nodes. Grows 6-12 inches tall, spreading 3-6 feet or more over time through prostrate stems. Slow-growing but extremely hardy and adaptable. Creates dense mats that prevent weed growth. Thrives in full sun to part shade in well-drained, acidic, sandy, rocky, or gravelly soils. Prefers nutrient-poor, exposed sites with limited water. Excellent tolerance of salt, wind, and harsh elements. Ideal for difficult problem areas where other groundcovers fail.

Small, bell-shaped or urn-shaped flowers bloom in few-flowered drooping terminal clusters at stem tips. Flowers white to pink, less than 1/4 inch long, appearing spring through early summer. Evergreen leaves are small (1/2-1 1/4 inches), alternate, oval-shaped, dark glossy green above and paler beneath with distinctive leathery, waxy texture. Foliage shifts from yellowish-green new growth in spring, to dark green in summer, to reddish-purple tones in fall and winter. Bright red berry-like drupes ripen late summer to fall and persist into winter, creating striking contrast against glossy foliage. Flexible branches have attractive reddish-brown bark.

Exceptional wildlife value. Flowers attract and support hummingbirds, native bees (especially valuable to smaller species), brown elfin butterflies, hoary elfin butterflies, and other pollinators. Host plant for 14 species of lepidopterans including brown elfin and Freija fritillary butterflies. Bright red berries consumed by ruffed grouse, band-tailed pigeons, evening grosbeaks, sparrows, and ground-feeding birds. Bears, foxes, and coyotes browse berries; deer browse twigs in winter. Named "kinnikinnick" from Algonquin word for "smoking mixture" - dried leaves historically used in smoking blends by Native Americans and early pioneers. Leaves used medicinally as tea for colds, tuberculosis, kidney ailments, and as diuretic. The name means "bear grapes" (both Arctostaphylos in Greek and uva-ursi in Latin) referring to bears eating the berries.

Perfect low-maintenance evergreen groundcover for sunny, dry, exposed locations. Excellent alternative to aggressive invasives like English ivy and periwinkle. Ideal for parking strips, slopes, retaining walls, rockeries, rock gardens, and cascading over ornamental borders. Superior erosion control for hillsides, embankments, and highway plantings. Works beautifully in native plant gardens, revegetation projects, and difficult sites with poor, dry soils. One of the finest groundcovers available according to Northwest botanists. Mildly fire-resistant. Well-mannered spreader that won't become invasive. Established plants are drought-tolerant and require minimal care. Circumpolar species native across northern North America, making it extremely cold-hardy and adaptable.