Virginia Tech Dendrology

kinnikinick Ericaceae Arctostaphylos uva-ursi (L.) Spreng. Listen to the Latin symbol: ARUV
Leaf: Alternate, simple, persistent, 1/2 to 1 inch long, leathery, and obovate to elliptical, entire margins, green and smooth on both surfaces.
Flower: Perfect, urn-shaped, pink to white and borne in small terminal clusters.
Fruit: Small (1/4 inch diameter), round, smooth, red, berry-like drupe that resembles a tiny apple.
Twig: Slender and trailing, frequently root at the nodes, upright stems usually less than 1 foot tall.
Bark: Mostly smooth and dark reddish brown, exfoliating on older stems.
Form: A prostrate, mat-forming evergreen shrub.
 Looks like: small cranberry - cranberry - lingonberry - whiteleaf manzanita
leaf flower fruit twig bark form1 map
Additional Range Information: Arctostaphylos uva-ursi is native to North America. Range may be expanded by planting. See states reporting kinnikinick.
External Links: USDAFS FEIS Silvics - USDA Plants Database
All material © 2018 Virginia Tech Dept. of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation; Photos and text by: John Seiler, Edward Jensen, Alex Niemiera, and John Peterson; Silvics reprinted from Ag Handbook 654; range maps courtesy USGS from USDA "Atlas of United States Trees" by Elbert L. Little, Jr., Vol. 1 (1971) 3 (1976) 4 (1977) 5 (1978)