Arctostaphylos spp., Manzanita (18)

If any species of plant could claim to be “California’s plant,” it would be the Manzanita, with its 60 species . . . 56 of which are native to California. Among those 56 native species (some of which have many subspecies) the genus Arctostaphylos manages to cover almost all of California (Stuart and Sawyer, 2001). Manzanita can be found from the coastal mountains of southern California to the Sierra Nevada to the Klamath Mountains to the inland deserts (Ornduff, 1974).

While it is very difficult to identify a Manzanita plant to the species or subspecies level, it is easy to identify them at the generic level. Manzanitas range morphologically from small trees to ground hugging shrubs. Like the Pacific Madrone, their branches meander. Their bark is usually red, thin, and translucent and often feels cool to the touch.

Manzanita leaves are simple, alternate, leathery, and evergreen. Their leaves are often oriented vertically, an adaptation that prevents stomatal water loss by reducing leaf heating. Manzanita produce small white to pink flowers that bloom in bunches and mature into small fruits that are red when ripe. It is from these “little apple” like fruits that the Spanish name Manzanita originates.

Some species of Manzanita have fire resistant burls near the bases of their stems, from which shoots can sprout following a fire. These burls are most likely adaptations to Manzanita’s role as a ground cover in forests that periodically burn under natural fire regimes (Stuart and Sawyer, 2001).