Kinnikinnick
- Iñupiaq name: Tinnik
- Family: Ericaceae
- Scientific name: Arctostaphylos uva-ursi
- Distinguishing characteristics: Plant a matted, small shrub with delicate trailing woody branches. Leaves are evergreen and leathery. Flower is bell-shaped and pink, producing a dull red fruit with a large stone or pit.
- Similar species: Kinnikinnick is sometimes confused with blueberry, bearberry, or lingonberry because of their similar flowers and leaf shapes. To identify kinnikinnick, look at the leaves, which are evergreen and very thick (almost succulent-like), and the growth form, which is a trailing and very low growing.
- Habitat: Dry tundra
- Best time to harvest: Late summer
- Uses: The berries are mealy and not very tasty on their own, but are eaten boiled and sometimes added to other foods.
Photo by Bob Gibbons
Photo via Native Plant Trust
Photo by Walter Siegmund