- berries have thick skin and a mealy taste.
- berries can be dried for storage.
- dried berries can be ground and cooked into a porridge.
- dried berries can be popped when fried in grease over low flame.
- varieties in the Pacific Northwest are Common bearberry (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi) and Alpine bearberry (Arctostaphylos alpina), which has either red or shiny black berries.
- grows in dry open woods and gravelly or sandy soils in arctic and alpine regions.
- warning: may cause nausea or constipation if eaten in quantity.
- warning: prolonged use may case stomach and liver problems and should be avoided by children and pregnant or breast-feeding women.
