BEARBERRY
Arctostaphylos uva-ursi
COMMON NAMES: Upland cranberry, arberry, mountain cranberry, mountain box, uva-ursi.
FEATURES: Found in dry, sterile, sandy soil and gravelly ridges of North America south to Mexico in
3000–9000-foot altitudes.
The perennial evergreen shrub is recognized by large mats of low-growing ground cover. The urn-
shaped flowers are white and sometimes tinged with red, flowering from June to September, followed by
red lustrous berries of the winter season. The green leaves should be picked and dried in the autumn.
The name is also applied to other plants, such as Ilex decidua, a shrub of the southern United States.
MEDICINAL PART: Leaves.
SOLVENTS: Alcohol, water.
BODILY INFLUENCE: Astringent, diuretic, tonic.
USES: The leaves were mixed with tobacco leaves by Native Americans and called kinnikinnick. More
important was their use of it as medicine to treat inflammations of the urinary tract, especially cystitis.
Bearberry is among the herbs useful in diabetes for excessive sugar. Particularly useful in chronic
diarrhea, dysentery, profuse menstruation, piles, spleen, liver, and the pancreas. Outstanding curative
influence for diseases of the urinary organs, more especially in chronic affections of the kidneys, mucous
discharges from the bladder, and all derangements of the water passages. Old cases of leukorrhea and
chronic urethritis will be relieved by its use, a valuable assistant in the cure of gonorrhea of long
standing, whites, ulceration of the cervix uterus (neck of the womb), pain in the vesicle region, etc. Can
be used internally and also as a douche.
Cover and steep 1 heaped tespoonful in 1 pint of boiling water for 30 minutes, cool, strain, and use
warm as a douche for the above mentioned. If too strong, dilute as required.
DOSE: Can be taken internally as follows. Soak the leaves in sufficient alcohol or brandy to cover, for one
week or more. Place 1 teaspoonful of the soaked leaves in 1 cup of cold, or boiling, water, drink 2–3
cups a day. Quantity of the tincture to be given in the same manner, 10–25 drops in water three or more
times a day, according to symptoms. The tea can be made without the brandy or alcohol, if desired,
preparing as you would ordinary tea. Effective if mixed with tincture of quaking aspen (Populus
tremuloides), 2–15 drops; tincture of bearberry (Arctostaphylos), 10–20 drops.
When used in the treatment of diabetes, Vaccinium myrtillus (bilberry) should be combined with it.
Tincture of bilberry leaves (Vaccinium myrtillus) 20–40 drops, tincture of bearberry (Arctostaphylos)
10–20 drops in water three or more times a day.