Bearberry
Arctostaphylos uva-ursi
Heath family (Ericaceae)
A favourite of bears!
The berries of this evergreen dwarf shrub are not edible - the acidity dries the inside of the mouth. These poisonous berries contain, amongst other things, malic and citric acid as well as tannic and bitter substances. However bears seem to love them and appear quite unaffected by their taste. The botanical name of this shrub, which is common in cold regions, contains a double reference: arktos and staphylos Greek for 'bear' and 'grapes' respectively; in Latin uva means 'berries' and ursi means 'of the bear'.
In the Netherlands, bearberry is very rare and is only found on Terschelling and the Veluwe where it is sometimes confused with the cowberry.
Arbutin, one of the active substances from the leaves, helps in the prevention of urinary tract infections and so bearberry was used to treat kidney stones.
Themes
Crown jewel in the Alkmaar Botanic Garden.
Fruit can be eaten raw or cooked. It is insipid, dry and mealy when raw but becomes sweeter when cooked. Added to stews etc., it is a good source of carbohydrates. The fruit can also be used to make a cooling drink or used for preserves etc. It can also be dried and stored for later use. A tea is made from the dried leaves. Bearberry is the most important constituent in many traditional smoking mixes of native North Americans and is known collectively as 'kinnikinnick'.
Bearberry has historically been used for medicinal purposes.
This plant is best not used by pregnant women since it can reduce the supply of blood to the foetus. Large doses may lead to nausea and vomiting due to tannin content. Overdoes may result in tinnitus, nausea, vomiting, shortness of breath, convulsions and fainting.
Details
Description: | Shrub, 20-60 cm, procumbent. |
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Distributions: | Mountains and more temperate regions in the northern hemisphere. |
Habitat: | Sea dunes, heathland. |
Year cycle: | Perennial (polycarpic evergreen) |
Hardiness: | Colder than -4 f (very hardy) |
Flowering period: | Maart - april |
Flower color: | White, pink |
Notes on flowers: | The pinky-white, urn-shaped flower is 5-6 mm in diameter, with a small opening and short pink petal lips on the disk florets |
Fruiting period: | Augustus - december |
Fruit color: | Red, pink |
Notes on fruits: | Shiny red to pink berries, 6-8 mm in diameter |
At its best: | Maart - april |