Description
Bearberry grows groups of cherry red berries. The plant gets its name because bears absolutely love them.
It will spread rapidly once established to create mats that fill a lot of space.
Bearberry is a low-growing ground cover that usually tops out between 6 and 12 inches. The flexible stems sport teardrop-shaped, leathery leaves in dark green. You, ll find a small amount of white or pale pink waxy flowers between March and June.
Plant Specifications
*above specification are indicative only. actual dimensions may vary by +-10%
Common Name |
kinnikinnick, pinemat manzanita |
Maximum Reachable Height |
Bearberry is a creeping shrub that can reach 2 to 8 inches in height and few meters in length. |
Flower Colour |
white, pink, or pink-tipped in colour |
Bloom Time |
April to May |
Difficulty Level |
easy to grow |
Planting and care
Bearberry need about an inch of water each week, with an increase to 1 1/2 inches a week during hot, dry weather. An inch of rain equals 2 gallons per plant, which you may also supply by watering for half an hour with a sprinkler.Plant it in full sun or partial shade, in spots where it will have space to spread. While bearberry is slow to grow in the first year, it will spread rapidly once established to create mats that fill a lot of space.Bearberry care
If you have a large plot of poor soil and need to landscape it, then bearberry ground cover is your plant. It thrives on soil poor in nutrients and sandy soil that has a hard time supporting other ground cove
Sunlight |
Full Sun to part shade |
Watering |
Dry to medium |
Soil |
well-drained soil |
Temperature |
70 to 100 degrees |
Fertilizer |
Apply any organic fertilizer |
Bearberry special feature
Moderate to large scale ground cover with year round interest. Helps control soil erosion on slopes and hillsides.
Bearberry uses
Ornamental Use:
- It will spread rapidly once established to create mats that fill a lot of space
Medicinal Use:
- The leaves are picked any time during the summer and dried for use in medicinal tea bags and tablets for traditional medicine uses
Culinary Use:
- The leaves are picked any time during the summer and dried for use in teas
- The fruit, also called bearberries, are edible and are sometimes gathered as food for humans