Other Names:  Kinnikinick, Bear's Grape, Sandberry

Description:

A high quality groundcover for poor sandy or acidic soils, forms a thick carpet of green with interesting leaves which turn red in fall; very dainty pale pink flowers in spring and red berries in summer through fall; very specific growing conditions

Ornamental Features

Green Bay Bearberry features dainty nodding pink bell-shaped flowers at the ends of the branches from late winter to early spring. It features an abundance of magnificent red berries from mid summer to late fall. It has forest green evergreen foliage which emerges light green in spring. The small glossy round leaves turn an outstanding red in the fall, which persists throughout the winter.

Landscape Attributes

Green Bay Bearberry is a dense multi-stemmed evergreen shrub with a ground-hugging habit of growth. Its relatively fine texture sets it apart from other landscape plants with less refined foliage.

This is a relatively low maintenance shrub, and should not require much pruning, except when necessary, such as to remove dieback. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Green Bay Bearberry is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Mass Planting
• Border Edging
• Groundcover
• Container Planting

Planting & Growing

Green Bay Bearberry will grow to be about 8 inches tall at maturity, with a spread of 4 feet. It tends to fill out right to the ground and therefore doesn't necessarily require facer plants in front. It grows at a slow rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 30 years.

This shrub does best in full sun to partial shade. It is very adaptable to both dry and moist growing conditions, but will not tolerate any standing water. It is considered to be drought-tolerant, and thus makes an ideal choice for a low-water garden or xeriscape application. As a rule, this plant should never be fertilized. It is very fussy about its soil conditions and must have sandy, acidic soils to ensure success, and is subject to chlorosis (yellowing) of the foliage in alkaline soils, and is able to handle environmental salt. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. This is a selection of a native North American species.

Green Bay Bearberry makes a fine choice for the outdoor landscape, but it is also well-suited for use in outdoor pots and containers. Because of its spreading habit of growth, it is ideally suited for use as a 'spiller' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination; plant it near the edges where it can spill gracefully over the pot. Note that when grown in a container, it may not perform exactly as indicated on the tag - this is to be expected. Also note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.