Common Name:

General Information

Arctostaphylos glandulosa is an erect or mound-forming, evergreen shrub growing 1 - 3 metres tall[].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food. It is sometimes grown as an ornamental, mainly within its native range, and is a very effective soil stabilizer in the arid regions in which it grows[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

Southwest N. America - Oregon, California, northwest Mexico (Baja California).

Habitat

Maritime and interior chaparral; steep, rocky slopes; closed-cone conifer forests; on graniti rocks; sandstone coastal bluffs; at elevations from 10 - 2,200 metres[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Shrub
Height	2.00 m
Pollinators	Insects
Cultivation Status	Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

Arctostaphylos glandulosa grows in a Mediterranean climate, with cool moist winters and hot dry summers[].
The plant grows in the wild in gravelly-clay soils. The soil layer is typically less than 25cm deep, with a pH of 5.7[]. Plants are shade-intolerant[].
The plant produces a large lignotuber from 60 - 250cm in diameter - this is usually able to survive fires and produce new sprouts[].
Seeds have a very hard seedcoat - they are dispersed by birds and mammals who eat the fruits and can remain dormant in the soil for many years.Germination does not occur until after a fire, and is triggered by an oligosaccharin leached from charred wood. Seedling success rates are low[].

Edible Uses

Fruit - raw or cooked[]. It can be used to make a jelly, or can be dried and made into a flour[]. The slightly depressed-globose fruit is 6 - 10mm in diameter[].

Medicinal

None known

Agroforestry Uses:

The plant's deep litter layer and deep root system help bind the soil and stabilize steep hillsides and road cuts. It has been underutilized for rehabilitative purposes in the past because it is difficult to germinate and to transplant. It can, however, be successfully propagated from stem cuttings[].
The plant allelopathically inhibits the growth of ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) and knobcone pine (Pinus attenuata) seedlings[].

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed - best sown in a greenhouse as soon as it is ripe. Arctostaphylos seeds, especially if not sown fresh, are generally stimulated into germinating by one of two methods. The most effective is fire passing quickly over seeds that are lying dormant in the soil - this breaks down their surface coat allowing them to imbibe moisture when it next rains and then germinate. Alternatively, stomach acids act upon the seed coat when the fruit is eaten by various animals - the seed frequently passes through the gut unharmed and is deposited in a convenient pile of nutrients when the animal defecates - the seed will often still benefit from a period of winter cold before germinating in the spring. Both of these methods can be somewhat reproduced by the gardener - the seed can be placed under some straw which is then set alight - both seeds and ashes should be sown. Alternatively, pouring a small amount of nearly boiling water on the seeds (being careful not to cook them!) and then soaking them for 12 - 24 hours in warm water will have somewhat the same effect as stomach acids. Follow this treatment with a cold stratification at 2 - 5°c for 2 months[, ]. The seed will then usually germinate in 2 - 3 months at 15°c[]. As soon as they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots, being very careful no to damage the roots, and grow them on in light shade in a greenhouse or cold frame 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, late summer to early winter in a frame. Takes one year[, ].
Layering in spring[].