Common Name: Greenleaf Manzanita

General Information

Arctostaphylos patula is an evergreen, erect or mound-forming shrub growing from 1 - 3 metres tall. Individual plants may have an ultimate spread of 3 metres[, ].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food and medicine. A very ornamental plant, there is at least one named variety[, ]

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

, ,

Range

South-western N. America - Washington to Montana, south to California, Baja California, Colorado and Arizona.

Habitat

Open coniferous forests[, ]. Mountain chaparral and forests; at elevations from 400 - 3,000 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 patula is well adapted to hot, dry climates and can withstand wide temperature extremes. In the Sierra Nevada, where it is prevalent, the climate is characterized by hot, dry summers and mild, moist winters. Most of the precipitation occurs as snow from November to May[]. Plants are hardy to about -10°c[]. Plants generally do well in Britain, a specimens was growing well at Chelsea Physic garden in London after the harsh winter of 1985/86, showing no signs of damage[].
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 soil that is dry in the summer[]. Plants are not very wind-firm[]. Established plants are drought tolerant[].
Highly fire resistant[], it can regenerate after a forest fire from a mallee-like base[, ].
Seeds can lie dormant in the soil for one hundred years or more, only germinating when the heat of a fire breaks down their hard seedcoat. Seedlings can then grow quite fast - even in the arid regions where it is native it has been known to reach a height of 100cm within three years[].
Plants often self-layer in nature[].
Plants resent root disturbance and should be placed in their final positions as soon as possible[, ].

Edible Uses

Fruit - raw or cooked[, , , ]. The fully ripe fruit is pleasantly acid with a flavour resembling green apples[]. It can be dried, ground into a powder then used in making cakes etc[]. The fruit can also be used for making jelly and cider[]. The globose fruit is about 8 - 10mm in diameter[, ].

Seed - ground into a powder and added to soups etc[]. The seed is very small and would be difficult to separate from the fruit. It would be easier to dry the whole fruit, grind this into a powder and use it in soups etc[].

Medicinal

The leaves are astringent and emetic[, ]. They have been used for treating insect bites, and to relieve bronchitis, dropsy, and other diseases[]. They have been used in the treatment of VD[]. They are also used as a poultice on burns, cuts etc[].

The fruits can be brewed into a tea for use as a wash to treat poison-oak (Toxicodendron diversilobum) exposure[].

Agroforestry Uses:

Arctostaphylos patula is a valuable species for revegetating severely disturbed sites, and is rated as a superior shrub for erosion control[]
In its native range, the plant is able to colonize quickly after disturbance. It interferes with conifer seedling growth, almost certainly by being much more efficient at obtaining available moisture from the arid soils. This allows it to dominate the area for many decades after disturbance. Without further disturbance, conifers will eventually overtop it, though it may still inhibit conifer growth after being overtopped until canopy closure shades it out. In the absence of further disturbance, it may take from 30 - 100 years for conifers to gain dominance over the shrubs[].

Other Uses

A yellowish-brown dye is obtained from the leaves, it does not require a mordant[].

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[].

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.
The hard seeds can remain dormant in the soil for hundreds of years until stimulated to germinate[].
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[].