Arctous alpina

(Linnaeus) Niedenzu

Alpine bearberry, Black bearberry

EricaceaeFruitPotential hazards — see below

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What to Eat

Edible parts: Fruit

The small black berries are edible, though they have a notably bitter taste.

Known Hazards

Where to Find It

It is a temperate plant. It grows in northern China in alpine thickets and among rocks at 1,900-3,000 m altitude. It grows best in sandy, rocky, well-drained soils. It needs a protected sunny position. It is resistant to frost but sensitive to drought. In Sichuan.

Alaska, Arctic, Asia, Australia, Britain, Canada, China, Europe, Japan, Mongolia, North America, Russia,

Countries: Andorra, United Arab Emirates, Afghanistan, Antigua & Barbuda, Albania, Armenia, Austria, Australia, Azerbaijan, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Barbados, Bangladesh, Belgium, Bulgaria, Bahrain, Brunei, Bahamas, Bhutan, Belarus, Belize, Canada, Switzerland, China, Costa Rica, Cuba, Cyprus, Czechia, Germany, Denmark, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Estonia, Spain, Finland, France, United Kingdom, Grenada, Georgia, Greece, Guatemala, Honduras, Croatia, Haiti, Hungary, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, India, Iraq, Iran, Iceland, Italy, Jamaica, Jordan, Japan, Kyrgyzstan, Cambodia, St Kitts & Nevis, North Korea, South Korea, Kuwait, Kazakhstan, Laos, Lebanon, St Lucia, Liechtenstein, Sri Lanka, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Latvia, Monaco, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Myanmar, Mongolia, Malta, Maldives, Mexico, Malaysia, Nicaragua, Netherlands, Norway, Nepal, Oman, Panama, Philippines, Pakistan, Poland, Puerto Rico, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Serbia, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Sweden, Singapore, Slovenia, Slovakia, San Marino, El Salvador, Syria, Thailand, Tajikistan, Timor-Leste, Turkmenistan, Turkey, Trinidad & Tobago, Taiwan, Ukraine, United States, Uzbekistan, St Vincent, Vietnam, Yemen

How to Identify

A small shrub. It can lie along the ground or be up to 40 cm high. It spreads 1 m wide. The stems are woody and branching. The leaves are green and oval. They have rounded teeth around the edge. The surface is wrinkled. The flowers are pale yellow and bell shaped. The fruit are small black berries.

How to Grow

It can be grown from seed or cuttings.

Wikipedia

Source ↗

Arctous alpina (syn. Arctostaphylos alpina), the alpine bearberry, mountain bearberry or black bearberry, is a dwarf shrub in the heather family Ericaceae. The basionym of this species is Arbutus alpina L..

Notes

They have health benefits.

Names & Synonyms

Bei ji guo

Arbutus alpina L.Arctostaphylos alpina (L.) Spreng.

References (6)

Bircher, A. G. & Bircher, W. H., 2000, Encyclopedia of Fruit Trees and Edible Flowering Plants in Egypt and the Subtropics. AUC Press. p 39
Bodkin, F., 1991, Encyclopedia Botanica. Cornstalk publishing, p 97
Flora of China Vol. 14, p 257 and Flora of China. www.eFloras.org
Harris, C.S. et al, 2014, Investigating Wild Berries as a Dietary Approach to Reducing the Formation of Advanced Glycation Endproducts: Chemical Correlates of In Vitro Antiglycation Activity. Plant Foods Hum Nutr 69:71–77
Mullory, C. & Aitken, S., 2012, Common Plants of Nunavut. Inhabit Media p 138
Urgamal, M., Oyuntsetseg, B., Nyambayar, D. & Dulamsuren, Ch. 2014. Conspectus of the vascular plants of Mongolia. (Editors: Sanchir, Ch. & Jamsran, Ts.). Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. “Admon“ Press. 334pp. (p. 79-90).