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Oregon · Washington · Idaho

When to plant kinnikinnick

Plant in the garden: Portland and Seattle Mar 1 – Apr 26; Spokane Apr 1 – May 27; Boise Mar 20 – May 15; Bend Apr 28 – Jun 23.

Kinnikinnick, or bearberry, is a native evergreen groundcover in the heath family that grows wild from coastal bluffs to the Rockies. Many tribes smoked its dried leaves in tobacco blends, and the name comes from a word for that smoking mixture. The mealy berries are edible but bland, and mostly left for birds and bears.

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Puts kinnikinnick on your free plan, with dates for your town and a spot in your beds.

Difficulty
Moderate
Sun
Full sun to light shade
Spacing
12 to 24 inches apart
Planting depth
Same depth as in the pot; don't bury the stems
Frost
Very hardy; evergreen through winter
First harvest
Flowers in spring, berries in fall

A low, trailing evergreen groundcover with small pink flowers in spring and red berries that birds eat in winter. It needs sun and soil that drains fast, and it fills in slowly, so plant it closely on slopes and sandy ground.

Kinnikinnick planting dates

TownsPlant in the garden
Portland, OR, Seattle and Tacoma, WAMar 1 – Apr 26
Spokane, WAApr 1 – May 27
Boise and Meridian, IDMar 20 – May 15
Bend and Redmond, ORApr 28 – Jun 23
Astoria, ORMar 25 – May 20

Dates for six main cities. For any of the other 80 towns, type it in the box at the top of the page or browse all towns.

Kinnikinnick year at a glance

TaskJFMAMJJASOND
PlantMarApr
In bloomMarAprMay

Around Portland. Colder towns, especially east of the Cascades, run a few weeks later; the table above has your town's planting dates.

How to grow kinnikinnick

  1. Pick a sunny slope, bank or bed with sandy or gravelly soil that drains fast. Don't add compost; it prefers lean soil.
  2. Plant potted kinnikinnick on your city's dates, 12 to 24 inches apart. Same depth as in the pot; don't bury the stems.
  3. Water through the first summer, then only in long droughts. Weed carefully until the mat closes.
  4. Harvest: Enjoy the berries as winter bird food. They're edible but dry and mealy, so most people leave them.

Growing kinnikinnick in your part of the Northwest

The same plant behaves differently on the wet west side, the foggy coast and the dry, colder east side.

West-side valleys

Willamette Valley, Puget Sound, southern Oregon

Kinnikinnick needs sun and lean, well-drained soil; it struggles in heavy, wet clay.

Coast

Oregon and Washington coast

Kinnikinnick grows naturally on coastal bluffs and dunes.

East of the Cascades

Columbia Basin, Yakima, Boise, Spokane, north Idaho

Kinnikinnick also grows wild east of the Cascades in pine forests and handles cold winters.

More kinnikinnick varieties

More widely sold picks that do well somewhere in the Northwest. The tag says which part of the Northwest suits each one best.

Vancouver Jade

Vigorous groundcover selection · Evergreen

A fast-spreading selection with glossy leaves and pink flowers, known for good disease resistance.

Both sides

Massachusetts

Hardy groundcover selection · Evergreen

A widely sold, flat-growing selection with small dark leaves and good leaf-spot resistance.

Both sides

Wood's Compact

Compact selection · Evergreen

Slower and tighter-growing, for small spaces and rock gardens.

Both sides

How much to grow

How many to plant

Plant 1 to 2 feet apart as a groundcover. It fills in over two to three years.

Key numbers

Top care tip: Weed carefully and mulch with gravel until the mat closes, and never let it sit in wet soil.

Growing notes

What makes the difference in Northwest gardens, in plain language.

A tough evergreen groundcover

Kinnikinnick, also called bearberry, is a low, trailing evergreen shrub with small, glossy leaves. It has pink, bell-shaped flowers in spring and red berries in fall and winter that feed birds.

It grows wild on sandy, rocky ground on both sides of the Cascades, from coastal bluffs to mountain slopes, and it's an early nectar source for native bees.

Planting for success

Give it sun or light shade and soil that drains fast: sandy, gravelly or rocky. It fails in heavy clay and wet soil. Don't add compost or fertilizer.

It grows slowly. Plant small plants 12 to 24 inches apart for coverage in a few years, and mulch between them with gravel or bark to hold back weeds. Don't bury the stems.

Care

Water through the first summer, then only during long droughts. Once established it needs almost nothing.

Vancouver Jade is a vigorous selection with good disease resistance. Massachusetts is another widely sold, hardy selection.

Good neighbors

Grows well with

  • Oregon sunshine. The same dry, sunny, well-drained spot.
  • Serviceberry. A taller native for the same sunny, dry slope.

Pests and problems

What most often goes wrong with kinnikinnick in Northwest gardens, how to spot it and what to do.

Root rot

Signs: Plants brown and die in heavy, wet soil.

What to do: Plant in sandy or gravelly soil, or on a slope.

Slow fill

Signs: Weeds grow in the gaps.

What to do: Mulch with gravel or bark between plants.

Leaf spot

Signs: Dark spots on the leaves in wet weather.

What to do: Usually minor; improve airflow.

Common questions about growing kinnikinnick

When should I plant kinnikinnick in Oregon, Washington and Idaho?

Plant in the garden: Mar 1 – Apr 26 in Portland and Seattle, Apr 1 – May 27 in Spokane, Mar 20 – May 15 in Boise and Apr 28 – Jun 23 in Bend. Pick your town at the top of the page for your own dates.

Is kinnikinnick the same as bearberry?

Yes. Both are common names for Arctostaphylos uva-ursi.

How fast does kinnikinnick spread?

Slowly at first. Expect two to four years to fill in when plants are a foot or two apart.

Can you eat kinnikinnick berries?

They're edible but dry and mealy. Most gardeners leave them for the birds.

Also on these lists:

See what else to plant in March or April.

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