Common bearberry is an extremely winter-hardy, creeping evergreen shrub that hugs the ground at just 6 to 12 inches tall while spreading 3 to 6 feet or more across the landscape over time. Native throughout the northern parts of North America, Europe, and Asia, this circumpolar ground-hugger thrives in zones 2 through 7, making it one of the toughest groundcovers for cold climates. Its flexible branches root at the nodes as they spread, and in spring it produces showy pink and white flowers followed by equally showy red berries that persist into winter, drawing birds to your garden.
Partial Sun
Moderate
2-7
12in H x 72in W
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High
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Once established, common bearberry asks almost nothing of you: it tolerates poor, infertile soils, doesn't want fertilizing, and handles drought with ease. The plant grows exceptionally slowly and deliberately, which is part of its charm; this is a groundcover that rewards patience with decades of reliable performance in harsh sites where other plants struggle. Its evergreen foliage, bell-shaped spring flowers, and bright fruit make it ornamental year-round, while birds will visit throughout the season.
Common bearberry serves as a groundcover for slopes, rocky sites, and erosion-prone areas where it stabilizes soil with its spreading root system. It naturally fills in bare spots in alpine gardens, rock gardens, and naturalized woodland edges. Because it tolerates full sun to partial shade and thrives in poor soils, it's especially useful in difficult spots where conventional groundcovers fail. Its role as a food source for birds makes it valuable in wildlife gardens.
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“Arctostaphylos uva-ursi has been called by many names across its vast range, including the Indigenous name kinninnick. Its circumpolar distribution across the northern hemisphere speaks to its ancient adaptation to cold, exposed terrain. This isn't a plant bred by horticulturists; it's a wild species that has survived and thrived in some of the harshest climates on Earth, from arctic tundra to windswept rocky slopes. Modern horticulture simply recognized what nature had already perfected and brought it into cultivation for its ornamental and ecological value.”