Kinnikinnick, Arctostaphylos uva-ursi

About Kinnikinnick (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi) 40 Nurseries Carry This Plant

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Arctostaphylos uva-ursi is a species of Arctostaphylos, one of several related species referred to as bearberry. Names for this species include kinnikinnick and pinemat manzanita. It is a small procumbent woody shrub 5-30 centimeter high. The leaves are evergreen, remaining green for 1-3 years before falling. The fruit is a red berry. It likes to spread and will root where stems touch the soil.

It can handle a wide variety of sun conditions, from full sun to part shade to full shade, and tolerates summer water up to 1x per month. Does best near the coast where temperatures are lower and less supplemental water would be needed. Inland it would like afternoon shade and more water. It is one of the most popular ground cover manzanitas, and there are several named cultivars including 'Emerald Carpet', 'Point Reyes' and 'Wood's Compact.'

Plant Description

Plant Type

Shrub

Size

1.6 ft tall
10 ft wide

Form

Spreading

Growth Rate

Fast, Moderate

Dormancy

Evergreen

Fragrance

Slight

Flower Color

Purple, Pink, White

Flowering Season

Spring, Winter

Wildlife Supported

Insects and hummingbirds are attracted to the flowers. Other fruit and seed eating birds are attracted to the fruits.
Bird gardens

Butterflies & moths hosted ( 6 confirmed

, 48 likely * ) SHOW ALL

The Brown Elfin Callophrys augustinusCallophrys augustinus

Hoary Elfin Callophrys poliosCallophrys polios

Shadowy Arches Drasteria adumbrataDrasteria adumbrata

Epinotia arctostaphylanaEpinotia arctostaphylana

Aethaloida packardariaAethaloida packardaria

Aseptis fanaticaAseptis fanatica

White-lined Sphinx Hyles lineataHyles lineata

Landscaping Information

Sun

Part Shade, Full Sun

Moisture

Very Low

Summer Irrigation

Max 2x / month once established

Nurseries

Carried by 40

Ease of Care

Very Easy

Cold Tolerance

Tolerates cold to 30° F

Soil Drainage

Fast, Medium

Soil Description

Tolerates a variety of soils but prefers sandy loam. Tolerates Serpentine Soil. Soil PH: 4.0 - 7.0

Common uses

Groundcovers, Deer Resistant, Bird Gardens, Hummingbird Gardens, Bee Gardens

Companion Plants

Low growing coastal plants from central and northern California including California Seapink (Armeria maritima var. californica), Beach Sage (Artemisia pycnocephala), Ceanothus species, Seaside Daisy (Erigeron glaucus), Seaside Buckwheat (Eriogonum latifolium), Seaside Woolly Sunflower (Eriophyllum staechadifolium), Hairy Gumweed (Grindelia hirsutula), Lupinus species, and Dune Goldenrod (Solidago spathulata)

Maintenance

Prune as needed to contain spread

Propagation?

For propagating by seed: Soak in concentrated H2SO4 for 3-6 hrs. then 2-4 mos. warm and 2-3 mos. cold stratification ( USDA Forest Service 1974 ); or 6 hrs. of concentrated acid and 2 mos. each of warm then cold stratification (McLean 1967) For the acid treatment, single nutlets and stone pieces (often without embryos) and entire stones should be treated separately, as they require different amounts of time in acid (Giersback 1937) For all species an alternate method is fire treatment in fall, this gives germination by spring. More easily propogated from tip cuttings in winter using bottom heat.

Sunset Zones?

1, 4*, 5*, 6, 7, 14, 15*, 16*, 17*, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24

Natural Setting

Site Type

Rocky outcrops, slopes, sandy places primarily near the coast of central to northern California, as part of coastal strand, northern coastal scrub or chaparral.

Climate

Annual Precipitation: 11.8" - 115.1", Summer Precipitation: 0.22" - 3.07", Coldest Month: 22.1" - 50.3", Hottest Month: 44.3" - 76.2", Humidity: 0.01" - 24.06", Elevation: 7" - 12226"

Alternative Names

Botanical Names: Arctostaphylos uva-ursi f. coactilis

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Sources include: Wikipedia. All text shown in the "About" section of these pages is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Plant observation data provided by the participants of the California Consortia of Herbaria, Sunset information provided by Jepson Flora Project. Propogation from seed information provided by the Santa Barbara Botanical Garden from "Seed Propagation of Native California Plants" by Dara E. Emery. Sources of plant photos include CalPhotos, Wikimedia Commons, and independent plant photographers who have agreed to share their images with Calscape. Other general sources of information include Calflora, CNPS Manual of Vegetation Online, Jepson Flora Project, Las Pilitas, Theodore Payne, Tree of Life, The Xerces Society, and information provided by CNPS volunteer editors, with special thanks to Don Rideout. Climate data used in creation of plant range maps is from PRISM Climate Group, Oregon State University, using 30 year (1981-2010) annual "normals" at an 800 meter spatial resolution.

Links: Jepson eFlora Taxon Page CalPhotos Wikipedia Calflora

Kinnikinnick

Arctostaphylos uva-ursi

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Kinnikinnick

Arctostaphylos uva-ursi