Bear-berry

Bear-berry (Arctostaphylos) - Mostly trailing alpine evergreen of the Heath order, of which few are in cultivation. Of this group A. alpina is useful for rocky banks or edging bogbeds. A. Uva-ursi (Bear-berry) is a dwarf evergreen mountain shrub, 1 foot high, sometimes grown with rock plants. It has small rose flowers in early summer and red berries in autumn. A. alpina, the Black Bearberry, has trailing stems and white or flesh-colored flowers. It is abundant in hilly places in Europe and N. America. Grows in any soil, but prefers a moist border or ledge. Division. A. nitida is a Mexican half-hardy evergreen with shining green leaves and white flowers. The dwarf, much branched A. pungens is also a native of Mexico; while the shrubby, hardy A. tomentosa comes from N.W. America.