{"product_id":"massachusetts-bearberry","title":"Massachusetts Bearberry","description":"\u003ch3 class=\"pd-title-head\"\u003e\n  \u003cstrong\u003e\u003ci\u003eArctostaphylos uva-ursi\u003c\/i\u003e 'Massachusetts'\u003c\/strong\u003e\n\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eOverview\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eUses:\u003c\/strong\u003e Groundcover on dry banks and slopes, erosion control on sand and gravel, rock gardens, seaside and exposed plantings, mass plantings under open-canopy pines.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBenefits:\u003c\/strong\u003e A woody evergreen that solves the hardest groundcover problem there is — poor, dry, fast-draining soil in full sun. ’Massachusetts’ is the selection chosen for dense branching and better disease resistance than seed-grown bearberry. Small glossy leaves bronze in winter, pink-tinged bells open in spring, and red fruit follows and persists.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eUSDA Hardiness Zones:\u003c\/strong\u003e 2–7\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSun:\u003c\/strong\u003e Full Sun to Partial Shade\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLife Cycle:\u003c\/strong\u003e Broadleaf Evergreen Shrub\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGrowth Habit:\u003c\/strong\u003e Groundcover, Spreading — low woody mat that layers where stems touch soil\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBloom Color:\u003c\/strong\u003e White and Pink\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFoliage Color:\u003c\/strong\u003e Dark Green, bronzing in winter\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMature Height:\u003c\/strong\u003e Under 1 ft.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMature Width:\u003c\/strong\u003e 3–6 ft. spread\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBloom Season:\u003c\/strong\u003e Spring\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGrowth Rate:\u003c\/strong\u003e Slow\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eSummary\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eBearberry is the plant to reach for when the site is genuinely bad: a sun-baked sandy bank, the gravelly strip along a driveway, a slope that erodes every spring. It is a true woody shrub, just one that grows sideways instead of up, and it holds ground the way no herbaceous groundcover can.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e’Massachusetts’ is the form worth planting. Seed-grown bearberry is variable and prone to leaf spot; this selection branches more densely, colors better, and has held up in landscape use for decades. The leaves are small, thick, and dark glossy green through summer, turning deep bronze-red once cold sets in and staying on the plant all winter. Nodding white-and-pink bells open in spring, and glossy red fruit follows and often hangs on until the birds finally take it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe tradeoff is patience and drainage. It establishes slowly — the old nursery line is sleep, creep, then leap — and it will not tolerate heavy clay, standing water, or rich soil. Get those two things right and it is close to permanent.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eCare\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMassachusetts Bearberry Care\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003ePlant in full sun to light shade in acidic, sandy, sharply drained soil. This is the one requirement that cannot be compromised: bearberry fails in clay and fails in soil that holds water. On heavier ground, amend generously with sand and pine fines or plant on a raised berm.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWater regularly through the first two seasons — establishment is the slow part and the stage where most plants are lost. Once rooted in, it is highly drought-tolerant and resents summer irrigation.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eDo not fertilize routinely. Bearberry is adapted to lean soil and rich feeding does more harm than good. If growth is genuinely stalled after two seasons, one light spring application of \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/almanacplanting.com\/products\/slow-release-fertilizer\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"\u003eslow release fertilizer\u003c\/a\u003e formulated for acid-loving plants is the most it should ever get.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eA light mulch of pine needles or shredded bark helps the stems layer and keeps weeds down until the mat closes. No pruning is needed; trim back a wayward stem any time. Space plants eighteen to twenty-four inches apart for reasonable coverage within three to four years.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eSize\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhat Size is the Massachusetts Bearberry for Sale Online?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eOur Massachusetts Bearberry ships in a greenhouse-grade grow pot and is appropriately sized for its container at the time of shipment. If you have specific sizing or planting questions, please \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/almanacplanting.com\/pages\/contact\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"Contact Almanac Planting Co\"\u003econtact us\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHow Large Does Massachusetts Bearberry Grow?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eMassachusetts Bearberry stays under a foot tall — usually six to ten inches — and spreads three to six feet across over time. Growth is slow for the first two years, then picks up noticeably once the roots are established.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eAdditional Information\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhat are some common names for this plant?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIt is most widely sold as bearberry. You will also see it listed as kinnikinnick, its Algonquian name, and occasionally as hog cranberry or mealberry.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhy is it so slow to get going?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIt puts its first two years into roots rather than top growth, and it establishes from a small container more slowly than most groundcovers. Consistent water in years one and two, then leaving it alone, is what gets it to the point where it starts running.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWill it grow in clay soil?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eNot reliably. Bearberry needs sharp drainage and acidic conditions, and heavy clay is where most plantings fail. If clay is what you have, build a raised bed with sand and pine fines rather than planting into the native soil.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDoes it stay green through winter?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIt holds its leaves year-round, but the color shifts. Through summer the foliage is dark glossy green; once temperatures drop it takes on a bronze to reddish cast that lasts until spring growth begins. Browse our \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/almanacplanting.com\/collections\/evergreen-plants\"\u003eEvergreen Plants\u003c\/a\u003e collection for more year-round options.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIs it a native plant?\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIt is a nativar — a selection of \u003cem\u003eArctostaphylos uva-ursi\u003c\/em\u003e, which is native across the northern United States, Canada, and much of the northern hemisphere. Its spring flowers are an early bumblebee resource and the fruit feeds birds and small mammals. See our \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/almanacplanting.com\/collections\/native-plants\"\u003eNative Plants of North America\u003c\/a\u003e collection, or our \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/almanacplanting.com\/collections\/groundcovers\"\u003eGroundcovers\u003c\/a\u003e collection to compare.\u003c\/p\u003e\n","brand":"Almanac Planting Co","offers":[{"title":"1 Gallon \/ Fall '26 Pre-Order","offer_id":47506111332514,"sku":"PN-Bear-1-1yr","price":27.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0586\/9374\/6850\/files\/BearBerry2.jpg?v=1786308301","url":"https:\/\/almanacplanting.com\/products\/massachusetts-bearberry","provider":"Almanac Planting Co","version":"1.0","type":"link"}