Native Plant Database

From the Image Gallery

Plant Characteristics

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Shrub
Root Type: Tap
Leaf Complexity: Simple
Leaf Shape: Ovate
Leaf Venation: Palmate
Leaf Pubescence: Glabrous
Leaf Apex: Acute
Breeding System: Flowers Unisexual , Flowers Bisexual , Monoecious
Leaf: Green
Flower:
Fruit: Red, Brown, Black 1/4 in.
Size Class: 6-12 ft.

Bloom Information

Bloom Color: Pink
Bloom Time: Apr , May , Jun

Distribution

USA: AZ , CA , CO , MT , NV , OR , UT , WA
Native Distribution: Sierra Nevadas and North Coast Ranges of CA & OR, e. to CO & n. AZ; also Lake Co., MT
Native Habitat: Open, coniferous, mt. forests; 2000-9000 ft.
USDA Native Status: L48(N)

Growing Conditions

Water Use: Medium
Light Requirement: Sun
Soil Moisture: Moist
CaCO3 Tolerance: Medium
Soil Description: Well-drained, slightly acid soils.
Conditions Comments: A fire resistant shrub often used as erosion control. Stems root where they touch the ground.

Benefit

Use Food: Indigenous Californians used manzanita berries to make a cider-like drink.
Interesting Foliage: yes
Attracts: Birds
Nectar Source: yes

Value to Beneficial Insects

Special Value to Native Bees

This information was provided by the Pollinator Program at The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation.

Propagation

Description: Propagation by seed is can be difficult. Increase can be accomplished through layering.
Seed Collection: The outer fleshy part of the furit may be removed by macering the fruits with water and separating the nutlets by flotation or air-screening.
Seed Treatment: Seeds of most Arctostaphylos species have hard seed coats and dormant embryos. Scarification (several hours in H2SO4) followed by stratification may improve germination.
Commercially Avail: yes

Find Seed or Plants

Find seed sources for this species at the Native Seed Network.

View propagation protocol from Native Plants Network.

From the National Organizations Directory

According to the species list provided by Affiliate Organizations, this plant is either on display or available from the following:

Santa Barbara Botanic Garden - Santa Barbara, CA
Native Seed Network - Corvallis, OR

Bibliography

Bibref 841 - Native Alternatives to Invasive Plants (2006) Burrell, C. C.
Bibref 1218 - Tending the Wild: Native American Knowledge and the Management of California's Natural Resources (2006) Anderson, M. Kat

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From the Archive

Wildflower Newsletter 1987 VOL. 4, NO.2 - Wildflowers Provide Activity in Summer, Beautiful Colorado Beckons, What is Rese...

Recommended Species Lists

Find native plant species by state. Each list contains commercially available species suitable for gardens and planned landscapes. Once you have selected a collection, you can browse the collection or search within it using the combination search.

View Recommended Species page

Additional resources

USDA: Find Arctostaphylos patula in USDA Plants
FNA: Find Arctostaphylos patula in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Arctostaphylos patula