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shrub

Bearberry 'Massachusetts'

Arctostaphylos uva-ursi 'Massachusetts'

Preview: plant data is awaiting horticulturist review. A professional horticulturist hasn't reviewed our plant table yet. Lists still follow fixed rules for zone, sun, pets, deer and invasive status.

Bearberry 'Massachusetts' is a slow-growing evergreen shrub hardy in zones 3–7. It grows 3–6 in tall and 3–6 ft wide, so plant it 2.5 ft apart. Give it full sun to part sun and little water once established. It flowers pink and white in April to May. In a FloraVista list it usually plays the edge role: a low plant that finishes the front edge. It is native to the Northeast, the Midwest, the Great Plains, the Mountain West, the Pacific Northwest and California. Deer may browse it when other food is short, and it is toxic to dogs and cats. Our rules leave it out of lists in the Southeast, Florida and the Gulf, Texas and the South-Central states and the Desert Southwest, where summer heat, humidity or mild winters hold it back even inside its zone range.

Facts from our plant table

Botanical name
Arctostaphylos uva-ursi 'Massachusetts'
Plant type
Shrub, evergreen
Hardiness zones
3 to 7
Sun
Full sun (6+ hours); Part sun (4–6 hours)
Water
Low
Soil
Sandy or gravelly, acidic, very well-drained soil; fails in clay.
Mature size
3–6 in tall × 3–6 ft wide
Spacing
2.5 ft apart (centre to centre)
Growth rate
Slow
Bloom
Apr–May · pink and white
Roles in a bed
Edge
Styles
natural, low water
Deer resistance
Medium: browsed when deer are hungry
Pets
Toxic to dogs and cats. No ASPCA entry found; leaves contain arbutin and tannins. Marked toxic until reviewed.
Native to
Northeast, Midwest, Great Plains, Mountain West, Pacific Northwest and California
Pot size and price
1-gallon pot, typically $12–$20 (sometimes stocked)
Plant in
Spring or Fall
First-year watering
Water deeply once or twice a week for the first 6-8 weeks, then every 10-14 days in dry spells through the first summer; after that only in long droughts.
Pruning
No pruning needed; slow to establish.

Sources: Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder; state extension service fact sheets; ASPCA toxic and non-toxic plant list; Rutgers NJAES deer resistance ratings; state extension service; Invasive Plant Atlas of the United States; state noxious weed and invasive plant lists; US garden-centre and home-improvement retail listings (general knowledge, 2026 estimate); USDA PLANTS database; state extension service native plant lists. Not yet reviewed by a horticulturist.

Good companions

The plants our list engine most often puts in the same bed as Bearberry 'Massachusetts', across the sun, zone, pet, deer and style combinations it fits.

If you can't find it

Substitutes our engine offers for Bearberry 'Massachusetts': same role in the bed, passing the same rules.

How this page was made

This page was generated from this plant's record in FloraVista's plant table by fixed rules. The companions and substitutes come from the lists our rules engine composes. No named expert has reviewed this page.

Data status: the plant table is awaiting review by a horticulturist. Check each plant with a local nursery or extension office before you buy.

Sources

  • Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder, state extension services and the USDA PLANTS database (zones, size, sun, water, bloom, native range)
  • ASPCA toxic and non-toxic plant lists (dog and cat toxicity)
  • Rutgers NJAES and regional extension deer-resistance ratings
  • State noxious-weed and invasive-plant lists and the Invasive Plant Atlas of the US
  • Typical US garden-centre listings (pot size and price band)

Generated . How FloraVista chooses plants