Kinnikinnik (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi) is an evergreen shrub witha trailing habit.

• Deep-rooting stems tend to form large mats, with flexible branches.
• Leaves are alternate, leathery, evergreen, smooth, and spoon-shaped.
• The leaves can be shiny on top and hairless.
• Small, pink urn-shaped flowers are found in small clusters near the branch tips.
• All photos by the author.

kinnickinick

kinnikinick

Tuktakamin Mountain in June

bearberries

bearberry flowers

bearberry

• Large red berries form later in summer.
• Large edible seeds are in the berries, popular with birds and bears (sometimes called bearberry).
• The berries often stay on the shrubs into winter.
• First Nations people used the plant as a food source and the leaves in a herbal smoking mixture.
• We find kinnikinnik all throughout BC and it is abundant in the forests of the Interior Plateau.   We have it as an ornamental shrub in our home garden foundation beds.