Common Name: Manzanita

General Information

Arctostaphylos manzanita is usualy an evergreen shrub growing 1.8 - 3.6 metres tall, though in favourable sites it can become tree-like, growing up to 8 metres tall with a single, short trunk[, ].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food, medicine and source of materials.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

, ,

Range

South-western N. America - California

Habitat

Dry coastal slopes and in canyons up to 1,200 metres[, ]. Oak woodlands, chaparral, and open conifer forests; at elevations from sea level to 1,500 metres[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Shrub
Height	2.00 m
Pollinators	Bees, Self
Self-fertile	Yes
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Arctostaphylos manzanita is a plant of Mediterranean climates, characterized by warm, dry summers and mild, rainy winters[]. Plants are not hardy in the colder parts of he temperate zone, they generally tolerate temperatures down to between -5 and -10°c[].
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 generally do not begin to produce fruit until they are more than 10 years old[].
Pollination is often poor in Britain[]. Another report says that the plant does not fruit in this country[].
In its native habitat, the fruit often remains on the plant all year round[].
A specimen seen at Cambridge Botanic Gardens was 2.5 metres tall in 1989[].
Plants resent root disturbance and should be placed in their final positions as soon as possible[, ].
Most forms of this plant are killed by fire, but the subspecies roofii has a burl from which it resprouts after a fire[].
This species hybridizes in the wild with Arctostaphylos truei to produce A. × laxiflora Heller[].

Edible Uses

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 fruit can be used to make a jelly[]. The berries can be crushed to make a sweet, unfermented cider[]. The globose fruits are 8 - 12mm in diameter[].

Medicinal

The leaves have diuretic and disinfecting qualities - an infusion is a useful treatment for mild urinary tract infections, bladder gravel, chronic kidney inflammations, and water retention. The leaves also function as a mild vasoconstrictor for the uterus[]. An infusion of the leaves is used to treat severe colds and diarrhoea[]. The leaves are chewed as a treatment for stomach ache and cramps[].
Applied externally, a poultice of the chewed leaves is used as a treatment for sores and headaches[].
The leaves contain arbutin, a glycoside that is broken down to hydroquinone in the urine. Arbutin is a mild but effective disinfectant, working on the urinary tract[].

A cider made from the fruit is used in the treatment of stomach complaints and as an appetizer to create appetite[].

Agroforestry Uses:

Manzanit is a shade intolerant pioneer species. It is often the first plant to establish after fire on open sites with residual seed stock in the soil, though it does not withstand competition well with herbaceous vegetation which can grow more quickly and overshadow it[].

Other Uses

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 is used, through hydrolosis, as a raw material for processing into products such as torula yeast, furfural, methanol, brewer's yeast, and other assorted sugars and acids[].

When of large-enough dimension, the wood is used for carving and woodworking[].
The wood makes an exceedingly fine fuel[].

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[, ].
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[].