Pointleaf Manzanita
Arctostaphylos pungens
Family: Ericaceae
What it is like
Arctostaphylos pungens is an evergreen Shrub. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and is pollinated by Insects. 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.
Height (m): 0
Where it is found
Gravelly soils in sunny places in the Chaparral.
Southern N. America - Mexico.
Conservation Status:
Countries/locations it is found in
How it is used
Food
Rating: 1
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 mush or as a flavouring in soups etc. A cooling drink can be made from the fruit.
Medicine
Rating: 1
An infusion of the leaves is used in the treatment of diarrhoea. An infusion is also used in the treatment of the rash caused by poison oak, Toxicodendron diversiloba.
Astringent: Produces contraction in living tissue, reducing the flow of secretions and discharges of blood, mucus, diarrhoea etc.
Skin: Plants used in miscellaneous treatments for the skin.
Other
Rating: 2
A yellowish-brown dye is obtained from the leaves, it does not require a mordant. The wood makes a good fuel, producing a long-lasting hot fire. The hard wood has been used for making small tools, awl handles etc.
Dye: Plants that provide dyes.
Fuel: Usually wood, plant materials that have been mentioned as being a good fuel.
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. This species is closely related to A. manzanita. 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:
Growth:
Soil: Light (sandy), medium
Shade: Semi-shade, no shade
Moisture: Dry, moist