Kinnikinnick is a beautiful and tough shrub. It’s evergreen, like its close relative arbutus, but kinnikinnick trails along the ground instead of growing into a huge tree. We find kinnikinnick in dry sunny spots, often on rocky outcrops or other well-drained sites. We often find kinnikinnick together with arbutus and Garry oak.
Note the characteristic red stems of young growth of kinnikinnick. Older stems have reddish-brown bark that peels off in a similar way to arbutus bark. As the stems trail along the ground, they often send out roots, forming large mats of the plant. Photo credit: Lynda StevensNotice the leaf shape – somewhat teardrop-shaped, usually narrowing toward the base. The leaf surface is usually quite shiny due to thick cuticular waxes (contributes to making the plant extra drought tolerant). Compare this strategy of shiny, waxy leaves to that of tall Oregon grape (Berberis aquifolium) – the plants are unrelated but grow in the same kind of habitat and show similar adaptations. Photo credit: Lynda StevensKinnikinnick’s flowers have the typical form of the Ericaceae family: urn-shaped. Compare these flowers to those of salal (Gaultheria shallon) and arbutus (Arbutus menziesii), they are almost identical, revealing their close kinship. Photo credit: Lynda StevensOne more image of kinnikinnick flowers – just because they are so pretty. Look for these on the VIU campus in the spring. We have quite a bit of it planted as part of landscaping. Photo credit: Lynda Stevens
A different common name for kinnikinnick is “bearberry”, and the scientific name Arctostaphylos uva-ursi, is a double translation of this name: In Greek, arctos = bear, and staphylo = ‘bunch of grapes’. In Latin, uva = grape, and ursi = bear. Whoever gave kinnikinnick its scientific name was very careful to imprint the meaning of “bearberry” on this plant using two ancient languages. 🙂
Red berries appear on kinnikinnick shrubs in early fall. They stay on the plant through the winter (or until eaten by an animal). The berries are edible to humans, but not particularly sought after – they don’t taste much and are quite mealy. Photo credit: Lynda Stevens
The name kinnikinnick is supposedly an Algonquian word meaning ‘smoking mixture’, and dried leaves of the plant were smoked either by itself or mixed with tobacco in our region. The plant also has traditional medicinal uses.
