Montane to alpine. Woodlands, openings. Summer.
Ryman Creek Trail, JUne 16, 2010.

Tiny, bright green, leathery leaves spread from stolons making this plant fairly easy to spot.  Pink-to-white bell-shaped flowers give way to bright red berries.

Although this is a fairly common plant through the Rockies and across the northern tier of states, it is not common in the Four Corners region. 

In the future I will add photographs of the flowers and the bright red fruit.

In 1753 Linnaeus named this plant Arbutus uva-ursi from collections made in Canada.  In 1825 Sprengel renamed the plant Arctostaphylos uva-ursi. 

"Arcto" is Greek for "bear" and "staphylos" is Greek for "a bunch of grapes".

Range map © John Kartesz,
Floristic Synthesis of North America

State Color Key

Species present in state and native
Species present in state and exotic
Species not present in state

County Color Key

Species present and not rare
Species present and rare
Species extirpated (historic)
Species extinct
Species noxious
Species exotic and present
Native species, but adventive in state
Eradicated
Questionable presence

Range map for Arctostaphylos uva-ursi