Downy Manzanita, Woollyleaf manzanita, Brittleleaf manzanita, Dacite manzanita, Rosy manzanita, San
Arctostaphylos tomentosa

Family: Ericaceae

What it is like

Arctostaphylos tomentosa is an evergreen Shrub growing to 1.5 m (5ft). See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 8. It is in leaf all year, in flower from March to May. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and is pollinated by Bees. The plant is self-fertile. Suitable for: light (sandy) and medium (loamy) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid soils and can grow in very acid soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers moist soil. The plant can tolerate maritime exposure.

Height (m): 1.5

Where it is found

Sandy places on the edge of Pinus radiata forests and on windy coastal bluffs below 150 metres.

South-western N. America - California.

Conservation Status:

Countries/locations it is found in

How it is used

Food

Rating: 3

Fruit - raw or cooked. Sweet, dry and mealy. An important food for native tribes, it can also be dried for winter use. When dried and baked into a bread it is relished by the native Indian tribes. If harvested when not quite ripe, it can be used like a tart apple. A cooling sub-acid drink can be made from the fruit. The fruit is about 8 - 10mm in diameter. Seed - ground into a powder and used to make mush, biscuits etc. The seed is very small and would be difficult to separate from the fruit. It would be easier to dry the whole fruit, grind this into a powder and use it in soups etc.

Seed: includes nuts, cereals, peas and beans.

Medicine

Rating: 3

The dried leaves are used in the treatment of a variety of complaints. These leaves should be harvested in early autumn, only green leaves being selected, and then dried in gentle heat. A tea made from the dried leaves is strongly astringent, diuretic and an antiseptic for the urinary tract. It is much used for kidney and bladder complaints and inflammation of the urinary tract, but it should be used with caution because it contains arbutin which hydrolyzes into the toxic urinary antiseptic hydroquinone. An infusion of the bark powder has been used in the treatment of lung haemorrhages. A cider made from the fruit has been used as an appetizer to create appetite and treat stomach complaints. Although the report does not specify, the cider was probably unfermented.

Antiseptic: Preventing sepsis, decay or putrefaction, it destroys or arrests the growth of micro-organisms.

Appetizer: Improves the appetite

Astringent: Produces contraction in living tissue, reducing the flow of secretions and discharges of blood, mucus, diarrhoea etc.

Diuretic: Acts on the kidneys, promoting the flow of urine.

Stomachic: Aids and improves the action of the stomach.

Urinary: Treats urinary problems, including urinary tract infection (UTI).

Other

Rating: 3

A yellowish-brown dye is obtained from the leaves, it does not require a mordant. The wood is used for making fine furniture.

Dye: Plants that provide dyes.

Wood: A list of the trees and shrubs that are noted for having useful wood.

How it is grown

Requires a deep moist well-drained light or medium lime-free loam in sun or semi-shade but plants produce less fruit when they are grown in the shade. Tolerates maritime exposure. This species is not hardy in the colder areas of the country, it tolerates temperatures down to between -5 and -10°c. Very closely related to A. columbiana but with a more southerly range. Plants can regenerate after a forest fire from a mallee-like base. Plants resent root disturbance and should be placed in their final positions as soon as possible.

Propagating it: Seed - best sown in a greenhouse as soon as it is ripe. Pre-soak dried seed in boiling water for 10 - 20 seconds or burn some straw on top of them and then stratify at 2 - 5°c for 2 months. The seed usually germinates in 2 - 3 months at 15°c. When large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in a cold frame or greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant out in late spring or early summer. Cuttings of side shoots of the current season's growth, 5 - 8cm with a heel, August to December in a frame. The cuttings are very slow and can take a year to root. Division in early spring. Take care because the plant resents root disturbance. Pot the divisions up and keep them in a lightly shaded position in a cold frame or greenhouse until they are growing away actively. Layering in spring.

Best place to grow: Woodland Garden Sunny Edge;

Habit: Shrub

Hardiness: 7-10

Growth:

Soil: Light (sandy), medium

Shade: Semi-shade, no shade

Moisture: Moist

Things to keep in mind

Its other names

Local names

Synonyms

A. cordifolia. A. vestita. Arbutus tomentosa.