Arctostaphylos uva-ursi Vancouver Jade (Bearberry)

Extremely winter hardy, Arctostaphylos uva-ursi 'Vancouver Jade' (Bearberry) is a slow-growing, creeping, evergreen shrub with trailing red stems studded with small, leathery, glossy, obovate, dark green leaves, up to 1 in. long (2.5 cm). The foliage turns red or purple in winter before becoming green again in spring. Pretty clusters of lantern-shaped, white-to-pink flowers hang gracefully from the short red stems in mid to late spring. They last several weeks and are followed by edible, smooth, and glossy berries which ripen to bright red in the fall. Slow to rot, the glistening fruits provide excellent emergency food for birds and mammals throughout winter. Introduced by the U.B.C. Botanical Gardens, Arctostaphylos uva-ursi 'Vancouver Jade' is more disease resistant than the species.