Botanical atlas
Bearberry (Uva Ursi)
Arctostaphylos uva-ursi
Bearberry has been leaned on for a very long time as a plain, no-nonsense support for the urinary tract, a use recorded among numerous Indigenous nations of North America and later written into the herbal texts of medieval Wales and Europe by the thirteenth century. Its leathery evergreen leaves were also dried and blended into kinnikinnick, a traditional smoking mixture combined with tobacco and other plants for ceremony and daily use. The name itself comes from the old observation that bears seek out its berries when they emerge from winter dens, a detail folded into both its Latin name and its common one.
In tradition.
Bearberry has been leaned on for a very long time as a plain, no-nonsense support for the urinary tract, a use recorded among numerous Indigenous nations of North America and later written into the herbal texts of medieval Wales and Europe by the thirteenth century. Its leathery evergreen leaves were also dried and blended into kinnikinnick, a traditional smoking mixture combined with tobacco and other plants for ceremony and daily use. The name itself comes from the old observation that bears seek out its berries when they emerge from winter dens, a detail folded into both its Latin name and its common one.
Traditional preparations.
A simple, well-steeped infusion used traditionally and conservatively, in short courses rather than daily for extended periods.
Traditionally, a tea is made by steeping 1 teaspoon of dried bearberry leaves in 250 ml of just-boiled water for 10 to 15 minutes, covered, then strained. Traditional use limits this to short courses of a few days at a time rather than ongoing daily use.
A gentler, slower method some traditional herbalists preferred, said to draw out fewer harsh tannins than a hot steep.
Traditionally, 1 to 2 teaspoons of dried leaf are steeped in 250 ml of cool water for 8 to 12 hours, then strained before drinking.
Safety.
Bearberry leaf is high in arbutin, which the body converts to hydroquinone, so traditional use calls for short courses only, generally no more than a week or two at a time. It should be avoided during pregnancy and breastfeeding and by anyone with kidney or liver problems.
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Ask about Bearberry (Uva Ursi)HerbSense shares traditional herbal knowledge for education, not diagnosis or treatment. Herbs can interact with medicines and conditions. Speak with your doctor before acting on anything here, and seek care promptly for anything severe, sudden, or worsening.