Arctous alpina facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Arctous alpina |
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| Arctous alpina var. japonica on Mt. Iide, Fukushima Prefecture, Japan. | |
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Arctous
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A. alpina
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| Arctous alpina (L.) Nied.
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Arctous alpina, also known as the alpine bearberry, mountain bearberry, or black bearberry, is a small shrub. It belongs to the heather family called Ericaceae. This plant is special because it grows close to the ground.
Contents
What Does the Alpine Bearberry Look Like?
The alpine bearberry is a low-growing shrub. It usually stands less than 6 inches (15 cm) tall. It has a woody stem and branches that spread out.
Leaves of the Alpine Bearberry
Its leaves grow in an alternating pattern along the stem. They are oval-shaped and have jagged edges. You can see a network of veins on them. These leaves turn bright red or scarlet in the autumn. They stay on the plant for another year before falling off.
Flowers and Fruits
The flowers of the alpine bearberry are small. They grow in groups of two to five. Each flower is white or pink and shaped like an urn. They are about 3 to 5 mm (0 to 0 in) long.
After flowering, the plant produces round fruits. These fruits are 9 to 12 mm (0 to 0 in) long. They start green, then turn red, and finally become shiny black when they are ripe. These berries are juicy. The plant usually flowers in June.
Where Does the Alpine Bearberry Grow?
The alpine bearberry grows in many cold regions around the world. This is called a circumpolar distribution. You can find it in places like Scotland, Scandinavia, Russia, Alaska, Northern Canada, and Greenland.
Southern Limits of Its Habitat
In Europe, it grows as far south as the Pyrenees and the Alps mountains. In Asia, it reaches the Altay Mountains and Mongolia. In North America, you can find it in British Columbia and also in Maine and New Hampshire.
Preferred Growing Places
This plant likes to live in certain types of environments. It grows well in moorland areas. It also thrives in dry forests with birch and pine trees. You might also see it on mossy bumps at the edges of bogs.
How Does the Alpine Bearberry Live?
The alpine bearberry has a special way of getting nutrients. It forms a symbiotic relationship with tiny fungi. This means they help each other. The fungi provide the plant with important nutrients, like phosphorus.
Berries and Wildlife
The berries of the alpine bearberry are a favorite food for many birds. Birds help to spread the plant's seeds when they eat the berries.
See also
In Spanish: Gayuba negra para niños
