Common Name: Downy Manzanita

General Information

Arctostaphylos tomentosa is a variable, evergreen, erect or mound-forming shrub growing 1 - 3 metres tall[].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food, medicine and source of wood.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

, ,

Range

South-western N. America - California

Habitat

Sandy places[] on the edge of Pinus radiata forests and on windy coastal bluffs below 150 metres[]. Maritime chaparral on stabilized dunes or coastal uplands; at elevations up to 300 metres[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Shrub
Height	1.50 m
Pollinators	Bees, Self
Self-fertile	Yes
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Arctostaphylos tomentosa is found in coastal central California, in areas that receive summer fog[]. This species is not hardy in the colder areas of the country, it tolerates 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[]. Tolerates maritime exposure.
Very closely related to Arctostaphylos columbiana but with a more southerly range[].
Plants can regenerate after a forest fire from a mallee-like base[].
Plants resent root disturbance and should be placed in their final positions as soon as possible[, ].

Edible Uses

Fruit - raw or cooked[, , , ]. Sweet, dry and mealy[]. An important food for native tribes, it can also be dried for winter use[]. When dried and baked into a bread it is relished by the native Indian tribes[]. If harvested when not quite ripe, it can be used like a tart apple[]. A cooling sub-acid drink can be made from the fruit[, ]. The globose fruit is about 8 - 10mm in diameter[].

Seed - ground into a powder and used to make mush, biscuits 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 dried leaves are used in the treatment of a variety of complaints[]. These leaves should be harvested in early autumn, only green leaves being selected, and then dried in gentle heat[]. A tea made from the dried leaves is strongly astringent, diuretic and an antiseptic for the urinary tract[, ]. It is much used for kidney and bladder complaints and inflammation of the urinary tract, but it should be used with caution[, , , ] because it contains arbutin which hydrolyzes into the toxic urinary antiseptic hydroquinone[].

An infusion of the bark powder has been used in the treatment of lung haemorrhages[].

A cider made from the fruit has been used as an appetizer to create appetite and treat stomach complaints[]. Although the report does not specify, the cider was probably unfermented[].

Other Uses

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

The wood is used for making fine furniture[].

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. 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[].