Cold hardiness & minimum temperature

Is Point Reyes bearberry (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi 'Point Reyes')cold hardy? Hardiness zone & min temp

Also called Point Reyes bearberry, Point Reyes kinnikinnick, Point Reyes pinemat manzanita.

More about point reyes bearberry

About Point Reyes bearberry

Arctostaphylos uva-ursi 'Point Reyes' · also called Point Reyes bearberry, Point Reyes kinnikinnick · flowering

A prostrate California-origin cultivar of bearberry, selected from Point Reyes National Seashore for superior heat and drought tolerance. Produces small urn-shaped white-pink flowers in early spring followed by glossy red berries beloved by wildlife. Superb drought-tolerant groundcover for slopes, rock gardens, and lawn substitutes once established.

Cold limit: USDA 2-9 · RHS H6 (-20 to 30°C)

What point reyes bearberry's hardiness rating actually means

Yes — point reyes bearberry is genuinely cold hardy. Rated RHS H6 and USDA 2-9, it lives outdoors all year and needs winter cold rather than protection from it. Its RHS rating of H6 means: Hardy throughout the UK and northern Europe. On the US scale that maps to USDA 2-9 — the zones where it can be left outdoors year-round.

New to these scales? The USDA hardiness zone map explained covers how the zone numbers work, and you can find your own zone with the zone finder.

Minimum temperature — and what happens below it

Minimum survivable temperature is roughly about −20 to −15 °C. Point Reyes bearberry is built for winter — once established it takes hard frost and snow in its stride.

Concretely, for point reyes bearberry as it gets too cold:

It tolerates winter lows to about −20 to −15 °C once established.
Below its rated zone, the visible damage is browned or blackened top growth and, in the worst case, a killed crown or root.
First-year, newly planted, or container-grown specimens are noticeably less hardy than established garden plants — the roots are exposed.

Can point reyes bearberry go outside or overwinter — and where?

Plant it out within USDA 2-9 and it overwinters with little or no help.
It does not want to come indoors — a warm winter room actually weakens a hardy plant by denying it dormancy.
The real risks in its range are waterlogging, wind-rock on young plants, and a late hard frost on new growth — not ordinary winter cold.

Work back from your local frost dates with the frost-date calculator: the last spring frost and first autumn frost are what really decide when point reyes bearberry can be outside. US growers can check USDA zones; UK growers should use the RHS hardiness ratings, which match the H6 figure above.

Point Reyes bearberry hardiness — frequently asked questions

Is point reyes bearberry cold hardy?

Yes — point reyes bearberry is genuinely cold hardy. Rated RHS H6 and USDA 2-9, it lives outdoors all year and needs winter cold rather than protection from it. An outdoor plant. Point Reyes bearberry is hardy across USDA 2-9; it belongs in the ground or a frost-proof container, not on a windowsill, and many types actively need a cold winter to perform.

What is the minimum temperature point reyes bearberry can survive?

Minimum survivable temperature is roughly about −20 to −15 °C. Point Reyes bearberry is built for winter — once established it takes hard frost and snow in its stride.

What hardiness zone is point reyes bearberry?

Point Reyes bearberry is rated USDA 2-9 and RHS H6 — Hardy throughout the UK and northern Europe.

Can point reyes bearberry survive winter outside?

Plant it out within USDA 2-9 and it overwinters with little or no help. It does not want to come indoors — a warm winter room actually weakens a hardy plant by denying it dormancy. The real risks in its range are waterlogging, wind-rock on young plants, and a late hard frost on new growth — not ordinary winter cold.

What happens to point reyes bearberry below its minimum temperature?

It tolerates winter lows to about −20 to −15 °C once established. Below its rated zone, the visible damage is browned or blackened top growth and, in the worst case, a killed crown or root. First-year, newly planted, or container-grown specimens are noticeably less hardy than established garden plants — the roots are exposed.