Bearberry (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi)

Tucked low against sand, rock, and moss, Bearberry (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi) forms glossy green mats that glow with color through the seasons. In spring, it’s dotted with tiny pale pink, urn-shaped flowers that look like miniature lanterns; by late summer and fall, those blooms give way to bright red berries that feed bears, birds, and other wildlife across the north.

A true circumboreal species, Bearberry is native to northern North America, Europe, and Asia, thriving in dry, sunny, and often harsh conditions where few other plants can survive. Its trailing stems, leathery evergreen leaves, and scarlet fruit make it both a quiet groundcover and a keystone species for slopes, shorelines, and open forests—holding soil in place, sheltering insects, and offering food to migrating and resident wildlife.