It can grow in the toughest conditions along the dunes and edge of the beach grasses. The leaves are heart shaped, toothed, with round leaf stalks, and very sticky stem buds that are very fragrant. Can grow to tree size but usually looks like a shrub. Bearberry grows in a sprawling, crawling, mat only several inches tall but often several yards wide. It can withstand high heat, low moisture, few nutrients and extreme winds.
Small berries form from urn-shaped pinkish flowers.
This is a very common plant along the northern, sandy shores of the Great Lakes. Its bushy head, narrow leaves with teeth, and downy stem can ID it. Lake Huron tansy is similar but has about one half the flower heads. Evening primrose is quite common along the sandy bluffs and dunes of the upper Great Lakes. Having a very deep taproot, this biennial can withstand low soil moisture and few nutrients.