Its specific name uva-ursi means "grape of the bear" in Latin (ūva ursī), just like what the generic epithet Arctostaphylos means in Greek ("bear-grape").
Its specific name uva-ursi means "grape of the bear" in Latin (ūva ursī), just like what the generic epithet Arctostaphylos means in Greek ("bear-grape").
Arctostaphylos uva-ursi is a plant species of the genus Arctostaphylos (manzanita). Its common names include kinnikinnick and pinemat manzanita, and it is one of several related species referred to as bearberry.
Arctostaphylos uva-ursi is a small procumbent woody groundcover shrub 5–30 cm high. The leaves are evergreen, remaining green for 1–3 years before falling. The fruit is a red berry.
The leaves are shiny, small, and feel thick and stiff. They are alternately arranged on the stems. Undersides of leaves are lighter green than on the tops. New stems can be red if the plant is in full sun, but are green in shadier areas. Older stems are brown. In spring, they have white or pink flowers.
Pure stands of Arctostaphylos uva-ursi can be extremely dense, with heights rarely taller than 6 inches. Erect branching twigs emerge from long flexible prostrate stems, which are produced by single roots. The trailing stems will layer, sending out small roots periodically. The finely textured velvety branches are initially white to pale green, becoming smooth and red-brown with maturity. The small solitary three-scaled buds are dark brown.
The simple leaves of this broadleaf evergreen are alternately arranged on branches. Each leaf is held by a twisted leaf stalk, vertically. The leathery dark green leaves are an inch long and have rounded tips tapering back to the base. In fall, the leaves begin changing from a dark green to a reddish-green to purple.
Terminal clusters of small urn-shaped flowers bloom from May to June. The perfect flowers are white to pink, and bear round, fleshy or mealy, bright red to pink fruits called drupes. This smooth, glossy skinned fruit will range from 1⁄4 to 1⁄2 inch in diameter. The fruit will persist on the plant into early winter. Each drupe contains 1 to 5 hard seeds, which need to be scarified and stratified prior to germination to reduce the seed coat and break embryo dormancy.
There is an average of 40,900 cleaned seeds per pound.
Distribution
The distribution of Arctostaphylos uva-ursi is circumpolar, and it is widespread in northern latitudes, but confined to high altitudes further south:
in Europe, from Iceland and North Cape, Norway south to southern Spain (Sierra Nevada); central Italy (Apennines) and northern Greece (Pindus mountains);
in Asia from arctic Siberia south to Turkey, the Caucasus and the Himalaya;
in North America from arctic Alaska, Canada and Greenland, south to California, north coast, central High Sierra Nevada (above Convict Lake, Mono County, California), Central Coast, California, San Francisco Bay Area, to New Mexico in the Rocky Mountains; and the Appalachian Mountains in the northeast United States.
In some areas, the plant is endangered or has been extirpated from its native range. In other areas, such as the Cascade Range, it is abundant.
Chemical constituents
Arctostaphylos uva-ursi contains the glycoside arbutin.
Some constituents such as the hydroquinones are hepatotoxic and in cases of urinary tract infections, other treatment options are recommended.
Uses
Historically it was used by the Blackfoot as food, some say the fruit tastes bland and is mealy.
Smoking
Bearberry is the main component in many traditional North American Native smoking mixes,[7] known collectively as "kinnikinnick" (Algonquin for a mixture). Bearberry is used especially amongst western First Nations, often including other herbs and sometimes tobacco. Some historical reports indicate a "narcotic" or stimulant effect, but since it is almost always smoked with other herbs, including tobacco, it is not clear what psychotropic effects may be due to it alone. For a full discussion of Amerindian smoking, mixtures see kinnikinnick.
Cultivation
There are several cultivars that are propagated for use as ornamental plants. It is an attractive evergreen plant in gardens, and it is also useful for controlling erosion. It is tolerant of sun and dry soils and is thus common groundcover in urban areas.
Fruit / Seed Dormancy and Treatment:
Seeds require an acid scarification treatment immerse in sulfuric acid for three to six hours. After scarification, warm stratification for 60 days followed by cold stratification for 60 days. Sow early in summer and mulch over winter (Berg, 1974).
To find the tracking number, see picture number 2
Important notice for buyers from Brazil and Mexico:
1. Remember that we are sending the shipment as a registered shipment (with signature confirmation) and that it can be given only by the one to whom the shipment is addressed, and that it must be signed by this person.
2. Ordering:
Always write your mobile number with the country code. Sample: +365 456 7686 576
You will receive an email notification for each step regarding your order. If you do not receive the notification, check your Spam / Junk folder, or contact your Email provider.
Once we have sent your order, you will be able to find a shipment tracking number in your order history. Keep tracking of your order using the tracking number (we cannot do that for you).
Be sure to register a valid e-mail address. You will receive notification of your order at this email address.
3. Please do not order from our site if you want to receive a shipment in a Post office box, or if you are not at home. If you do order and the shipping address is a P.O. box, and you don't get your package or the package gets lost, you lose the right to a refund.
Do not make an order from our site and leave a message: "Leave the parcel at my neighbor's house if I am not at home (read 1.) (We cannot do it)."
4. If your package comes back to us, we need to pay a return shipping fee. This means that if you want us to re-send your package, you have to pay the return shipping fee as well as the postage for sending it again.
5. If you see that tracking shows that the shipment is still in the place from where it was sent, it means only that the shipment is in transit, and other post offices and countries where the shipment is currently located do not provide data. We advise you in this case to ALWAYS CONTACT your post with a tracking number and ask them about your package.
We are not a post, so we cannot give you an answer where your parcel is located, even post cannot tell you this so long is shipment in transit.
WE ARE NOT A POST AND NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR DELIVERY TIMES.
First of all, keep in mind that shipments around the world are delayed due to the situation with the coronavirus.
If you didn't get your package, We can submit a request for investigation only after 30 days have passed from the date of sending. That's why we recommend Insured shipping.
1. Priority delivery (with priority order processing):
Shipped within 1-7 business days maximum. (In some cases, there may be a delay in delivery with a delay of 3 to 10 days. Especially during the season, holidays, or public holidays.).
This means that Priority Delivery orders will be processed first from our site. Not that you will receive the order in the time it takes to process the order.
2. Secured delivery (with priority processing):
Order value up to 150 €, safe delivery. This is the safest delivery, and if the post office loses your package they will refund you.
3. Standard delivery:
Shipped within 7-10 business days. (In some cases, there may be a delay of delivery with a delay of 7 to 14 days. Especially during the season, holidays, or public holidays.)
Shipping and handling costs will be calculated automatically when ordering, and the rate depends on the weight of the parcel and the country to which it is sent.
Please note that on Saturday and Sunday we do not process orders.
1. Payment by Bank Transfer
2. Payment via PayPal
3. Payment by card on our other site https://www.exotic-seeds.store
4. Payment with cryptocurrencies Bitcoin
5. Payment by Westernunion, Moneygram
Read below for more information:
1. PAYMENT WITH BANK ACCOUNT SEPA / IBAN-SWIFT-BIC
We have several bank accounts (across the world) where you can make a payment from your local bank account without high fee provision.
Please specify your order reference in the bank payment description. (Sample "SGS-19811702") If you do not write an order reference, it can cause the problem so that we cannot find who made the payment... Always write ORDER REFERENCE.
Our system will automatically cancel the order if we have not received bank payment within 7 days.
2. PAYMENT WITH PAYPAL
For PayPal, we accept only Euro, so if you want to pay with PayPal you must change the currency in the Euro.
3. PAYMENT WITH CARDS
If you want to make a payment by card, you have to make an order on our website https://www.exotic-seeds.store/
Visa, MasterCard, American Express, CB (Cartes Bancaires), Diners Club / Discover, China UnionPay, JCB, Discovers
4. PAYMENT BY WESTERN UNION, MONEYGRAM
These options are available only for countries from 3rd world countries (Africa...), for other countries send us an inquiry.
As a customer, you are obliged to pay all transaction fees.
You must provide us with transaction details so that we can know that you have made the payment, as well as to withdraw the money for your order.
Please note that if you want to pay for the order this way, you are obliged to pay within 3 days.
If we do not receive your payment within 3 days, your order will be canceled and you will no longer have the option to order again with Western Union or MoneyGram.
Our system will automatically cancel the order if we have not received bank payment within 7 days.
Please always read here important notices (if there are any) to see if we maybe have the vacation or anything else in the time you ordered the seeds from us: Important Notices
Some of the products that are not in stock and their quantity is limited, you can order. But you'll have to wait up to 30 days until we get the seeds from our supplier.
If you order other products that are available, along with products that are not currently in stock, your order will be sent only when we receive a seed that is currently not available and you have ordered it.
