Bearberry
Arctostaphylos uva-ursi 
 
To paraphrase Dan Jaffe Wilder, “Bearberry won’t attract bears to your property, but if the bears are already there, they will certainly enjoy the snack.”
 
This fun plant has some great things going for it. It is a low-growing, creeping evergreen that grows in fairly tough soils. Pick a spot in full sun with sandy soils and the Arctostaphylos uva-ursi will grow there just fine.
 
The first year of growth can be a bit fussy, give it some attention and then you can pretty much leave it alone. Don’t plant this one near the forest edge, the deer will eat it down to the ground! A simple wire cloche can protect it from grazing deer if they are an issue.
 
As with most of the other plants that can handle sandy soil, the bearberry is drought and salt tolerant, which makes it a fantastic selection for bordering roadsides and driveways. Most importantly, this plant serves as a host to 14 species of lepidopterans, the berries provide food for birds and mammals, and our native bees love the small bell shaped flowers that are produced in the spring.
 
Fun fact: uva-ursi means "grape of the bear"
 
Plants can be purchased in-person or online (with in-person pick-up).
All online orders will be ready for pick-up 24-72 hours after purchase. You will receive an email to let you know when your order is ready. We kindly ask that you pick-up any orders within one week of purchase.