Kinnikinnik Kinnikinick

Kinnikinnick spreads as an evergreen ground cover that rarely exceeds one foot in height, its prostrate stems rooting where they touch soil to form dense, creeping mats. The small, lustrous dark green obovate leaves cluster along finely textured reddish stems that exfoliate to reveal glossy bare wood on older growth. In spring, delicate white flowers blushed with pink emerge in nodding clusters; by late summer, bright red fleshy berries persist and attract birds. Native across the circumboreal Northern Hemisphere, it spreads 3 to 6 feet wide while hugging the ground.

Kinnikinnick succeeds in full sun to part shade with well-drained, sandy or infertile soils; it dislikes compacted earth and heavy clay unless significantly amended. Difficult to transplant, so establish it correctly on the first attempt. Water moderately in the first year; once established, reduce frequency. Susceptible to black root rot, leaf gall, leaf spot, Phytophthora dieback, and rust; avoid waterlogged sites to minimize root diseases. Several cultivars ('Massachusetts', 'Point Reyes', 'Emerald Carpet', 'Vancouver Jade') offer hardiness and vigor variations; 'Emerald Carpet' tolerates more shade while 'Vancouver Jade' turns red-bronze in winter.