Bearberry, or kinnikinnick as it is often called in the Rocky Moun- 

 tains, is the only manzanita occurring outside western North America. 

 This low, prostrate-trailing, evergreen shrub occurs in northern Eu- 

 rope, Asia, and in North America. It is found from Labrador to 

 Alaska and south to about the southern boundary of New Jersey, Illi- 

 nois, Nebraska, in the Rocky Mountain chain south to Mexico, and 

 in the Pacific coast ranges and Cascades to California. Bearberry 

 grows under a wide variety of conditions, but prefers coarse, well- 

 drained soils, such as gravelly or sandy loams in partial shade. It is 

 typically associated in the West with open ponderosa pine forests, but 

 also grows in Douglas fir, aspen, and lodgepole-pine stands. Al- 

 though individual shrubs are from 2 to 6 feet in diameter, stands of 

 them form extensive ground carpets when abundant, often to the 

 exclusion of other shrubby or herbaceous vegetation. On this account 

 bearberry apparently hinders rather than aids timber reproduction 

 in the moister areas where it is abundant, although its open growth 

 on drier sites may encourage timber reproduction through conserva- 

 tion of moisture. 



The habit of forming a dense ground cover over rather large local 

 areas makes the species especially valuable for watershed protection. 

 Erosion is prevented and the soil is maintained in a physical condi- 

 tion favorable to the absorption of moisture. 



Bearberry is so unpalatable to domestic livestock that it is not even 

 listed as a forage plant for them in grazing-capacity estimates. It, 

 however, supplies considerable food for wildlife. Deer and elk 

 browse the foliage lightly, especially in the winter. These animals, 

 as well as bear, grouse, and wild turkey, relish the mature berries 

 during autumn. 



The common name, bearberry, has practically the same meaning 

 as the specific name uva-ursi, which comes from the Latin words uva, 

 a grape (hence, berry), and ursi, bear's, i. e., bear's grape, or bear's 

 berry. The other common name, kinnikinnick, is based on the re- 

 ported use of bearberry by the Indians in their smoking tobacco. 1 

 Originally the word referred to the tobacco mixtures of the Indians, 

 but, in present-day usage, it is most often applied either to Arctosta- 

 phylos uva-ursi or to silky cornel (Cornus amonium). 



Bearberry stems are trailing, leafy, and slender with dark brown, 

 sometimes reddish, shreddy bark. The leathery, evergreen, spatula- 

 shaped leaves average three-fourths of an inch or less in length. The 

 flowers are small (one-fourth of an inch or less in length), urn-shaped, 

 white or pink, and are borne in small clusters at the ends of the 

 branches during May and June. When mature, the berries are smooth 

 and red or pink with a dry, mealy interior and contain usually five 

 hard, united nutlets. 



1 Jones L R , and Rand, F. V. VERMONT SHRUBS AND WOODY VINES. Vt. Agr. Expt. 

 Sta. Bull. 145, 199 pp., illus. 1909. 



