Bearberry vs Alpine Currant - TreeTime.ca

Bearberry vs Alpine Currant

Arctostaphylos uva-ursi

Ribes alpinum

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON

Bearberry
Alpine Currant

Bearberry is a dwarf shrub known for its creamy pink flowers and red edible fruits.

It is great as a filler in gardens and flowerbeds in place of invasive ground cover plants, like English Ivy.

Bearberry will attract hummingbirds, butterflies and bees to your property. It is one of the top 12 plants recommended by the Alberta Native Bee Council to support pollinators.

Note:This species is currently unavailable. Grow your own using Bearberry seeds at SeedTime.ca.

Alpine Currant is a great shrub to plant along sidewalks, near building or at your property boundary as a hedge or accent species. It is widely used by commercial landscapers in parking lots and near buildings because of its hardiness, attractiveness, and pollution tolerance.

While Alpine Currant produces edible berries, they are not palatable.

Bearberry Quick Facts

Alpine Currant Quick Facts

Zone: 1b
Zone: 2a
Height: 0.1 m (0.3 ft)
Height: 1.5 m (5 ft)
Spread: 0.9 m (3 ft)
Spread: 1.5 m (5 ft)
Moisture: dry, normal
Moisture: normal
Light: partial shade, full sun
Light: any
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no
Berries: small red berries
Berries: small, bright red
Flowers: small, purple-white
Flowers: greenish yellow and fragrant
Growth rate: slow
Growth rate: medium
Life span: medium
Life span: medium
Suckering: medium
Suckering: low




Other Names: kinnikinnick, mealberry, sandberry
Other Names: mountain currant