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Ericaceae
Kinnikinnick Flower
Arctostaphylos uva-ursi
Connection to the earth.
- Family
- Ericaceae
- Genus
- Arctostaphylos
- Native to
- North America, Europe, Northern Asia
- Bloom season
- Spring
- Type
- ground cover
- Height
- 6-12 in
- Sunlight
- full sun to partial shade
- Soil
- sandy, acidic, well-drained
- Water
- low
- Hardiness
- 2-7
- Lifespan
- perennial
Did you know
- The name 'kinnikinnick' comes from an Algonquin word meaning 'smoking mixture,' as the dried leaves were traditionally smoked by Native Americans.
- Both its genus name (Arctostaphylos) and species name (uva-ursi) mean 'bear grape' in Greek and Latin respectively, because bears love the berries.
- It is one of the most widely distributed plants in the Northern Hemisphere, found from sea level to alpine zones.
- The small, urn-shaped pink flowers attract early-season bumblebees and are among the first blooms in northern forests.
- The leathery evergreen leaves contain arbutin, a compound used in traditional medicine for urinary tract health.
Color meanings
0
grounding
1
tradition
2
connection