Splitrock Environmental
Kinnikinnick (kemús)
$7.50
Kinnikinnick is a ground trailing evergreen shrub with small, shiny, spoon shaped leaves, pinkish white flowers, and bright red berries. Kinnikinnik has traditionally been used as a tobacco like substance.
| Latin Name | Arctostaphylos uva-ursi | |
| Type | Shrub | |
| Height and Spread | Up to 20 cm | Can spread several meters. |
| Bloom Colour | Small urn shaped pinkish white flowers. | |
| Bloom Months | March/April | |
| Foliage Colour | Dark green and shiny above, paler below. | |
| Seed Months | After flowers, maturing in late summer and staying on the plant into winter. | |
| Light and Water | Full sun or mostly sunny. | Generally grows in dry areas. |
| Ethnobotany Information | Most south interior indigenous groups have a long history of smoking Kinnikinnick. The leaves were also boiled to make a tea, while the berries were sometimes used in meats and in soups. | |
| Wildlife Uses | As Kinnikinnick berries stay on the plant into winter, they provide an important food source for birds, bears, and other wildlife after other food sources have been exhausted. | |
| Garden Uses | Kinnikinnick bushes are useful for landscaping, taking up a large ground area. Their shiny leaves, flowers, and bright red berries can be quite beautiful, particularly useful in drier areas. | |
| Facts | Because of Kinnikinnick’s ability to spread over a large area with a network of roots, it is useful in helping to control erosion and stabilize banks, both on wilderness hillsides as well as intentionally in landscaping and restoration work. | |
| Propagation Techniques | Kinnikinnick is easily propagated through root cuttings. | |
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