Manzanita, Whiteleaf manzanita, Konocti manzanita, Contra Costa manzanita, Roof's manzanita, Wieslan
Arctostaphylos manzanita

Family: Ericaceae

What it is like

Arctostaphylos manzanita is an evergreen Shrub growing to 2 m (6ft) by 2 m (6ft). See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 8. It is in leaf all year, in flower from February to April. 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 dry or moist soil and can tolerate drought. The plant can tolerate maritime exposure.

Height (m): 2

Where it is found

Dry coastal slopes and in canyons up to 1200 metres.

South-western N. America - California.

Conservation Status:

Countries/locations it is found in

Australia, North America, UK, USA.

How it is used

Food

Rating: 3

Fruit - raw or cooked. An agreeable acid flavour but the fruit is dry and mealy. Hard to digest, the fruit should be eaten in moderation. It can be dried and ground into a powder and then used as a flavouring in soups, bread etc. A cooling drink can be made from the fruit. The berries can be crushed to make a sweet, unfermented cider. The fruit is white but becomes red-brown. These are 12 mm across.

Medicine

Rating: 1

A poultice of the chewed leaves is applied to sores and headaches. The leaves are chewed as a treatment for stomach ache and cramps. An infusion of the leaves is used to treat severe colds and diarrhoea. A cider made from the fruit is used in the treatment of stomach complaints and as an appetizer to create appetite.

Appetizer: Improves the appetite

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

Poultice: A moist, usually warm or hot, mass of plant material applied to the skin in the treatment of burns etc.

Stomachic: Aids and improves the action of the stomach.

Other

Rating: 3

A yellowish-brown dye is obtained from the leaves, it does not require a mordant. The leaves can be boiled and the yellowish-red extract used as a cleansing body wash. The wood makes an exceedingly fine fuel.

Dye: Plants that provide dyes.

Fuel: Usually wood, plant materials that have been mentioned as being a good fuel.

Soap: Plants used directly as a soap substitute.

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. Prefers a warm sunny position. Tolerates maritime exposure. Plants are not hardy in the colder parts of Britain, they tolerate temperatures down to between -5 and -10°c. Pollination is often poor in Britain. Another report says that the plant does not fruit in this country. This species is called A. pungens manzanita by some botanists. A specimen seen at Cambridge B.G. was 2.5m tall in 1989. Plants resent root disturbance and should be placed in their final positions as soon as possible. They can tolerate long dry periods.

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. Another report says that the seed requires 60 days warm followed by 60 days cold stratification. 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. Takes one year. 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: Dry, moist

Things to keep in mind

Its other names

Local names

Manzanita, Common manzanita, whiteleaf manzanita.

Synonyms

A. pungens manzanita. Uva-ursi manzanita.