From the same botanical family as blueberries and cranberries, uva ursi, also called bearberry, is a low-growing evergreen shrub native to alpine forests in northern climates. The plant is named for its shiny red berries, which bears apparently love! Although edible, bearberries are mealy and sour and rarely consumed; uva ursi leaves, not the berries, are wild harvested for medicinal use.

Uva ursi has been used as a medicinal herb by many cultures for more than a thousand years. The leaves have antibacterial and astringent properties — from arbutin and related compounds, as well as tannins — that fight infection and reduce inflammation. In modern herbal medicine, uva ursi leaf is primarily used to treat urinary tract infections and bladder inflammation, including cases resistant to conventional antibiotics.

Typically uva ursi leaf powder is encapsulated. Whole uva ursi leaf is available for medicinal teas and tinctures. The herb may not be effective if taken in combination with certain foods and should only be used for short periods of time to avoid liver damage.