Arctostaphylos uva-ursi
It has been one heckuva long winter here. We’ve still got a six-foot drift running along the driveway, but fortunately the snow in the backyard has finally melted and I’ve been able to get some vitamin sunshine.
Spring has finally sprung at the orange big box store as well, and I strolled around the nursery section looking for the ever-elusive-to-me Japanese honeysuckle as well as keeping my eyes peeled for any clearance items. Still no Japanese honeysuckle, but I did come home with 20 2-quart containers of snapdragons and 6 small strawberry plants for $10. I don’t even know what was wrong with the strawberries; they were dry, but not even wilted or drooping. Some of the snapdragons looked like they were beyond salvage, but they all perked up immediately with a little water rehab.
While searching for the honeysuckle, I spied some plants I’d never seen for sale anywhere before: bearberry. Uva-ursi. Medicinal. I picked up two pots, not quite sure where I’d plant them, but knowing I wanted to give them a try. And as far as medicinal uses go, bearberry is used much like juniper, especially for treating urinary tract issues.
So bearberry is a native plant, a groundcover that often goes unnoticed. It grows well on mountain slopes, helping prevent soil erosion, and does well in sandy soil, quickly spreading to form a dense mat of vegetation. The berries, though edible and used for medicine, are not exactly what would be called palatable, though they can be used in making jam.
HARVEST
Gather the leaves after flowering and when the berries are ripe.[1] Another source recommends harvesting the leaves in the fall.[2]
EFFECTIVE AGAINST
· Gram-positive
o Cutibacterium acnes[3]
o Staphylococcus aureus[4]
o Staphylococcus epidermis[5]
· Gram-negative
o Escherichia coli[6]
§ Extract of aerial parts[7]
o Helicobacter pylori
§ Water extract of leaves[8]
· Fungi
o Candida albicans[9]
PREPARATIONS
Infusion: Leaves, fresh or dried[10], 3-4 ounces, 3 times per day.[11]
Sitz bath: 8-12 ounces of infusion in a bath in warm water, 2 times per day.[12] Or boil ¼ cup of leaves in 1 gallon of water for 20 minutes, cool, and bathe once per day for 3-4 days.[13]
Tincture: Dried leaf, 1:5, 50% alcohol. Dosage is 30-60 drops in 1 cup water, 3 times per day.[14] [15]
Wash: Use the infusion[16]
USAGE
· Gastrointestinal
o Constipation
§ Raw berries eaten[17]
o Diarrhea
§ In children, berries mixed with grease[18]
§ Infusion[19]
o Dysentery
§ Leaves[20]
o Stomachache
§ Leaves chewed[21]
· Musculoskeletal
o Back sprains
§ Leaf, stem, and berry tea[22]
o Chronic lower back pain
§ Leaf, stem, and berry tea[23]
o Lower back pain
§ Infusion[24]
§ Moistened leaves rubbed on the back[25]
· Respiratory
o Bronchitis
§ Infusion[26]
o Earache
§ Leaf smoke[27]
o Thrush[28]
· Skin
o Acne[29]
o Boils
§ Leaf paste poultice[30]
o Burns
§ Leaf paste poultice[31]
o Cuts
§ Leaves and stems ground and applied as a plaster[32]
o Dandruff
§ Leaf and berry tea used as a wash[33]
o Heat rash
§ Infusion used as a wash[34]
o Hives
§ Infusion used as a wash[35]
o Minor skin irritations
§ Infusion used as a wash[36]
o Pimples[37]
§ Leaf paste poultice[38]
o Sores
§ Leaf and berry tea used as a wash[39]
§ Leaves and stems ground and applied as a plaster[40]
· Urogenital (for urinary tract issues, use the tincture[41])
o Bladder, kidney, and urinary tract ailments[42]
§ Tea[43]
o Bladder stones[44]
o Cystitis[45]
o Gonorrhea[46]
§ Infusion[47]
§ Tincture[48]
o Kidney stones[49]
o Menstrual cramps and heavy bleeding[50]
§ Infusion[51]
o Nephritis[52]
o Post-partum
o Urethritis[55]
o Urinary tract infections
§ Infusion, 2-3 cups per day[56]
· Other
o Cancer
§ Breast, Colon, Melanoma, Prostate[57] [58]
o Berries boiled, sweetened, served with cream for dessert[59]
o Leaves and berries chewed to stimulate saliva and reduce thirst[60] [61]
Synergisms: Bearberry extract works synergistically with oxacillin against MRSA infections.[62]
CONTRAINDICATIONS. Consuming too many bearberries may cause constipation. [63] Not to be used by pregnant or nursing women.[64] [65] Do not use for more than three days at a time. [66]
Links to related posts:
[1] Charles W. Kane, Medicinal Plants of the Western Mountain States, 2017, 298-99.
[2] I. Parejo, et al., A single extraction step in the quantitative analysis of arbutin in bearberry (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi) leaves by high-performance liquid chromatography, Phytochemical Analysis, September-October 2001, Vol 12 No 5, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11705262/ (accessed 27 April 2023).
[3] F. Dell'Annunziata, et al., In Vitro Antibacterial and Anti-Inflammatory Activity of Arctostaphylos uva-ursi Leaf Extract against Cutibacterium acnes, Pharmaceutics, 15 September 2022, Vol 14 No 9, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9501556/ (accessed 27 April 2023).
[4] R Snowden, et al., A comparison of the anti-Staphylococcus aureus activity of extracts from commonly used medicinal plants, Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, May 2014, Vol 20 No 5, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24635487/ (accessed 28 April 2023).
[5] F. Dell'Annunziata, et al., In Vitro Antibacterial and Anti-Inflammatory Activity of Arctostaphylos uva-ursi Leaf Extract against Cutibacterium acnes, Pharmaceutics, 15 September 2022, Vol 14 No 9, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9501556/ (accessed 27 April 2023).
[6] Charles W. Kane, Medicinal Plants of the Western Mountain States, 2017, 298-99.
[7] I. Parejo, et al., A single extraction step in the quantitative analysis of arbutin in bearberry (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi) leaves by high-performance liquid chromatography, Phytochemical Analysis, September-October 2001, Vol 12 No 5, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11705262/ (accessed 27 April 2023).
[8] I. Parejo, et al., A single extraction step in the quantitative analysis of arbutin in bearberry (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi) leaves by high-performance liquid chromatography, Phytochemical Analysis, September-October 2001, Vol 12 No 5, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11705262/ (accessed 27 April 2023).
[9] Charles W. Kane, Medicinal Plants of the Western Mountain States, 2017, 298-99.
[10] Linda Kershaw, Edible and Medicinal Plants of the Rockies, 2000, 90-91.
[11] Michael Moore, Medicinal Plants of the Mountain West, 2003, 250-51.
[12] Michael Moore, Medicinal Plants of the Mountain West, 2003, 250-51.
[13] Michael Moore, Medicinal Plants of the Mountain West, 2003, 250-51.
[14] Stephen Harrod Buhner, Herbal Antibiotics, 2012, 365.
[15] Michael Moore, Medicinal Plants of the Mountain West, 2003, 250-51.
[16] Steven Foster, et al., Western Medicinal Plants and Herbs, 2002, 276.
[17] Steven Foster, et al., Western Medicinal Plants and Herbs, 2002, 276.
[18] Steven Foster, et al., Western Medicinal Plants and Herbs, 2002, 276.
[19] Linda Kershaw, Edible and Medicinal Plants of the Rockies, 2000, 90-91.
[20] Steven Foster, et al., Western Medicinal Plants and Herbs, 2002, 276.
[21] Steven Foster, et al., Western Medicinal Plants and Herbs, 2002, 276.
[22] Steven Foster, et al., Western Medicinal Plants and Herbs, 2002, 276.
[23] Steven Foster, et al., Western Medicinal Plants and Herbs, 2002, 276.
[24] Linda Kershaw, Edible and Medicinal Plants of the Rockies, 2000, 90-91.
[25] Steven Foster, et al., Western Medicinal Plants and Herbs, 2002, 276.
[26] Linda Kershaw, Edible and Medicinal Plants of the Rockies, 2000, 90-91.
[27] Steven Foster, et al., Western Medicinal Plants and Herbs, 2002, 276.
[28] Michael Moore, Medicinal Plants of the Mountain West, 2003, 250-51.
[29] F. Dell'Annunziata, et al., In Vitro Antibacterial and Anti-Inflammatory Activity of Arctostaphylos uva-ursi Leaf Extract against Cutibacterium acnes, Pharmaceutics, 15 September 2022, Vol 14 No 9, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9501556/ (accessed 27 April 2023).
[30] Steven Foster, et al., Western Medicinal Plants and Herbs, 2002, 276.
[31] Steven Foster, et al., Western Medicinal Plants and Herbs, 2002, 276.
[32] Steven Foster, et al., Western Medicinal Plants and Herbs, 2002, 276.
[33] Steven Foster, et al., Western Medicinal Plants and Herbs, 2002, 276.
[34] Michael Moore, Medicinal Plants of the Mountain West, 2003, 250-51.
[35] Michael Moore, Medicinal Plants of the Mountain West, 2003, 250-51.
[36] Michael Moore, Medicinal Plants of the Mountain West, 2003, 250-51.
[37] F Dell'Annunziata, et al., In Vitro Antibacterial and Anti-Inflammatory Activity of Arctostaphylos uva-ursi Leaf Extract against Cutibacterium acnes, Pharmaceutics, 15 September 2022, Vol 14 No 9, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9501556/ (accessed 27 April 2023).
[38] Steven Foster, et al., Western Medicinal Plants and Herbs, 2002, 276.
[39] Steven Foster, et al., Western Medicinal Plants and Herbs, 2002, 276.
[40] Steven Foster, et al., Western Medicinal Plants and Herbs, 2002, 276.
[41] Michael Moore, Medicinal Plants of the Mountain West, 2003, 250-51.
[42] F Dell'Annunziata, et al., In Vitro Antibacterial and Anti-Inflammatory Activity of Arctostaphylos uva-ursi Leaf Extract against Cutibacterium acnes, Pharmaceutics, 15 September 2022, Vol 14 No 9, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9501556/ (accessed 27 April 2023).
[43] Steven Foster, et al., Western Medicinal Plants and Herbs, 2002, 276.
[44] Michael Moore, Medicinal Plants of the Mountain West, 2003, 250-51.
[45] Michael Moore, Medicinal Plants of the Mountain West, 2003, 250-51.
[46] Linda Kershaw, Edible and Medicinal Plants of the Rockies, 2000, 90-91.
[47] Linda Kershaw, Edible and Medicinal Plants of the Rockies, 2000, 90-91.
[48] P. Cybulska, et al., Extracts of Canadian first nations medicinal plants, used as natural products, inhibit Neisseria gonorrhoeae isolates with different antibiotic resistance profiles, Sexually Transmitted Diseases, July 2011, Vol 38 No 7, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21301385/ (accessed 28 April 2023).
[49] Michael Moore, Medicinal Plants of the Mountain West, 2003, 250-51.
[50] Michael Moore, Medicinal Plants of the Mountain West, 2003, 250-51.
[51] Linda Kershaw, Edible and Medicinal Plants of the Rockies, 2000, 90-91.
[52] Michael Moore, Medicinal Plants of the Mountain West, 2003, 250-51.
[53] Michael Moore, Medicinal Plants of the Mountain West, 2003, 250-51.
[54] Charles W. Kane, Medicinal Plants of the Western Mountain States, 2017, 298-99.
[55] Michael Moore, Medicinal Plants of the Mountain West, 2003, 250-51.
[56] Charles W. Kane, Medicinal Plants of the Western Mountain States, 2017, 298-99.
[57] F. Dell'Annunziata, et al., In Vitro Antibacterial and Anti-Inflammatory Activity of Arctostaphylos uva-ursi Leaf Extract against Cutibacterium acnes, Pharmaceutics, 15 September 2022, Vol 14 No 9, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9501556/ (accessed 27 April 2023).
[58] I. Parejo, et al., A single extraction step in the quantitative analysis of arbutin in bearberry (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi) leaves by high-performance liquid chromatography, Phytochemical Analysis, September-October 2001, Vol 12 No 5, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11705262/ (accessed 27 April 2023).
[59] Linda Kershaw, Edible and Medicinal Plants of the Rockies, 2000, 90-91.
[60] Linda Kershaw, Edible and Medicinal Plants of the Rockies, 2000, 90-91.
[61] Steven Foster, et al., Western Medicinal Plants and Herbs, 2002, 276.
[62] M. Shimizu, et al., Marked potentiation of activity of beta-lactams against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus by corilagin, Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, November 2001, Vol 45 No 11, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC90804/ (accessed 28 April 2023).
[63] Linda Kershaw, Edible and Medicinal Plants of the Rockies, 2000, 90-91.
[64] Linda Kershaw, Edible and Medicinal Plants of the Rockies, 2000, 90-91.
[65] Michael Moore, Medicinal Plants of the Mountain West, 2003, 250-51.
[66] Linda Kershaw, Edible and Medicinal Plants of the Rockies, 2000, 90-91.
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