One of the most important plants found in the sand dunes and in backshore communities adjacent to freshwater lakes is a plant called Arctostaphylos uva-ursi, or Bear Berry.
In the backshore and rare dune prairie communities of Lake Michigan, the habitat’s stability is directly influenced by weather’s dominance. Specific issues develop from: moisture leaching through the dune mountains faster than it can be hydroporically used, frequent unbroken winter winds cause the fine post-glacial sand loess to be ripped from the periphery of the dunes, sand blasting occurrences inhibit any life attempting to make use of space, and frequent erosion without accumulation. How can assemblages form a community that thrives in an environment like this long enough for any long term establishment to occur?
The answer is directly caused by bear berry colonizing the location.
This plant is an evergreen, prostrate running member of the Heath Family, It’s foliage is waxy and tough and it’s root system is very fiborously netted/branched. Unlike the majority of Ericaceae, bear berry is non-temperamental to alkaline soil preference, it actually prefers alkaline soil types. By sprawling and self spacing itself with small characterized root shyness, it is a perfect plant for shielding new community recruits from sandblasting, erosion, and soil/foliage moisture loss issues.
Bear berry is not just found in this lake; Any locality experiencing a post glacial lake zone(rebounded or semiperm) with course well drained media should have bearberry or an ecotype of it. It is a circumboreal species afterall.
If you are curious about other natural history, it is a very important starvation food source for frugavore and herbaceous fauna when other palatible options are not available; it also was once critical for lake dwelling native tribes in these Boreal zones for waterproofing and food. They are not considered the most palatable food and are noted to not be the best for human consumption raw.
The fruit can either be a steep purple or a vibrant cherry red, with flowers forming a gorgeous white or pink individuals vase shaped corolla’s on a terminal cluster blooming late May to June.
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