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Kinnikinnick
Arctostaphylos uva-ursi
  
About Kinnikinnick (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi) 46 Nurseries Carry This Plant Kinnikinnick is a popular low-growing manzanita that is often used as a groundcover and lawn replacement plant. It is a spreading evergreen shrub that features small, pinkish-white flowers and red berries. Both the flowers and fruit are attractive to birds and insects.

Kinnikinnick and its cultivars grow best in cooler mountainous or coastal regions of California. When planted in hot, dry inland areas, it requires afternoon shade and supplemental water. Kinnikinnick likes loamy, acidic soil.
Bornstein, C., Fross, D., & O’Brien, B. (2005). California Native Plants for the Garden. Bornstein, C., Fross, D., & O’brien, B. (2011). Reimagining the California Lawn: Water-Conserving Plants, Practices, and Designs. Cachuma Press.
Plant Description
Plant Type
Plant Type
Shrub

Size
Size
1.6 ft tall
10 ft wide

Form
Form
Spreading

Growth Rate
Growth Rate
Fast, Moderate

Dormancy
Dormancy
Evergreen

Fragrance
Fragrance
Slight

Flower Color
Flower Color
Purple, Pink, White

Flowering Season
Flowering Season
Spring, Winter

Wildlife Supported
 
Insects and hummingbirds are attracted to the flowers. Other fruit and seed-eating birds are attracted to the fruits.

 
Butterflies & moths hosted ( 6 confirmed , 47 likely * ) SHOW ALL
Epinotia arctostaphylana Image
Epinotia arctostaphylanaEpinotia arctostaphylana
Aethaloida packardaria Image
Aethaloida packardariaAethaloida packardaria
Aseptis fanatica Image
Aseptis fanaticaAseptis fanatica

Landscaping Information
Sun
Sun
Part Shade, Full Sun

Moisture
Moisture
Very Low

Summer Irrigation
Summer Irrigation
Max 2x / month once established

Nurseries
Nurseries

Ease of Care
Ease of Care
Very Easy

Cold Tolerance
Cold Tolerance
Tolerates cold to 30° F

Soil Drainage
Soil Drainage
Fast, Medium

Soil Description
Soil Description
Tolerates a variety of soils but prefers sandy loam. Tolerates Serpentine Soil. Soil PH: 4.0 - 7.0

Common uses
Common uses
Groundcovers, Deer Resistant, Bird Gardens, Hummingbird Gardens, Bee Gardens

Maintenance
Maintenance
Prune as needed to contain spread

Propagation
Propagation?
For propagating by seed: Soak in concentrated H2SO4 for 3-6 hrs. then 2-4 mos. warm and 2-3 mos. cold stratification ( USDA Forest Service 1974 ); or 6 hrs. of concentrated acid and 2 mos. each of warm then cold stratification (McLean 1967) For the acid treatment, single nutlets and stone pieces (often without embryos) and entire stones should be treated separately, as they require different amounts of time in acid (Giersback 1937) For all species, an alternate method is fire treatment in fall; this gives germination by spring. More easily propagated from tip cuttings in winter using bottom heat.

Sunset Zones
Sunset Zones?
1, 4*, 5*, 6, 7, 14, 15*, 16*, 17*, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24

Natural Setting
Site Type
Site Type
Rocky outcrops, slopes, sandy places primarily near the coast of central to northern California, as part of coastal strand, northern coastal scrub or chaparral.

Climate
Climate
Annual Precipitation: 11.8" - 115.1", Summer Precipitation: 0.22" - 3.07", Coldest Month: 22.1" - 50.3", Hottest Month: 44.3" - 76.2", Humidity: 0.01" - 24.06", Elevation: 7" - 12226"

Alternative Names
Botanical Names: Arctostaphylos uva-ursi f. coactilis


Sources include: Wikipedia. All text shown in the "About" section of these pages is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Plant observation data provided by the participants of the California Consortia of Herbaria, Sunset information provided by Jepson Flora Project. Propogation from seed information provided by the Santa Barbara Botanical Garden from "Seed Propagation of Native California Plants" by Dara E. Emery. Sources of plant photos include CalPhotos, Wikimedia Commons, and independent plant photographers who have agreed to share their images with Calscape. Other general sources of information include Calflora, CNPS Manual of Vegetation Online, Jepson Flora Project, Las Pilitas, Theodore Payne, Tree of Life, The Xerces Society, and information provided by CNPS volunteer editors, with special thanks to Don Rideout. Climate data used in creation of plant range maps is from PRISM Climate Group, Oregon State University, using 30 year (1981-2010) annual "normals" at an 800 meter spatial resolution.

Links:   Jepson eFlora Taxon Page  CalPhotos  Wikipedia  Calflora


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