Woody > Arctostaphylos > Arctostaphylos uva-ursi > Arctostaphylos uva-ursi 'Massachusetts'
Arctostaphylos uva-ursi
'Massachusetts'
Massachusetts Bearberry, Kinninnick, Mealberry, Hog Cranberry, Sandberry, Mountain Box, Bear's Grape, Creashak
| Family |
| Ericaceae |
| Genus |
| Arctostaphylos |
| Species |
| uva-ursi |
| Cultivar |
| 'Massachusetts' |
| Category |
| Woody |
| Type |
| Shrub (evergreen) |
| USDA Hardiness Zone |
| 4 |
| Canadian Hardiness Zone |
| 2a - 5a |
| RHS Hardiness Zone |
| H7 |
| Temperature (°C) |
| -35 - (-29) |
| Temperature (°F) |
| -30 - (-20) |
| Height |
| 15 - 30 cm |
| Spread |
| 90 - 180 cm |
Photographs
Description and Growing Information
Flowering Period
| General Description |
| A creeping, slow-growing evergreen shrub that spreads through flexible branching. The berries are very popular with bears. The 'Massachusetts' cultivar is especially abundant in flowers and fruits, and has smaller leaves than the species. |
| Landscape |
| Large scale ground cover, used to prevent soil erosion on slopes and hillsides. |
| Cultivation |
| Grow in full sun in a moist but free-draining soil, with shelter from strong winds. |
| Shape |
| Prostrate, mat-forming habit. |
| Growth |
| Slow |
| Pests |
| 'Massachusetts' has especially good resistance against leaf gall and leaf spot. |
| Habitat |
| Horticultural origin |
| Flower/Leaf Bud Description |
| Reddish-brown branchlets, with papery peeling bark on older twigs. |
| Leaf Description |
| Leaves are evergreen, dark green in colour and leathery, growing to less than 3 cm, with a shiny top but paler underneath. Leaves turn bronze in winter and become green again in spring. |
| Flower Description |
| Very small (less than 1 cm in length), white to pink flowers that are urn-shaped and drooping, appearing in small terminal clusters. |
| Fruit Description |
| Fruit is a rounded, berry-like drupe with 5 nutlets, green in summer ripening to red in the fall, favoured by bears, birds, and small mammals. |
| Propagation |
| Propagate by cuttings, or by simply layering in spring. |
| Ethnobotanical Uses (Disclaimer) |
| Tea can be made from the leaves, stems or roots and have some medicinal properties (antiseptic, astringent and diuretic). Fruit is edible for humans, but generally flavourless and mealy. |
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