Kinnickinnick, Arctostaphylos Uva-ursi

Day 200: The dainty bells of Kinnickinnick (emphasis on the syllables is the same as "a candlewick") emerge as rosy pink buds and fade to a lightly blushed white as they mature. Also known as Bearberry (Latin: uva-ursi), this member of the Manzanita family forms a dense ground cover in dry-soil conditions and can be found from near sea level to the alpine zone in western Washington. Berries develop in the early summer, and although they are edible, they are rather tasteless and seedy. You will sometimes hear Bearberry called "Indian tobacco," a term less often used in the Pacific Northwest than elsewhere although the leaves were smoked by members of some local tribes.