Plant of the Month Pages
| Common Name(s): | Bigberry Manzanita |
| Scientific Name: | Arctostaphylos glauca |
| Family: | Ericaceae (Heath) |
| Plant Type: | Shrub |
| Size: | up to 20 feet |
| Habitat: | woodland chapparal - northern slopes |
| Blooms: | December to March |
| Fire Response: | Germinate from Seed |
Arctostaphylos glauca, commonly called bigberry manzanita, is an evergreen shrub native to California. The rigid and often crooked branches of dense, fine-grained, muscular looking wood, with smooth, polished, shedding, reddish bark are quite distinct. In the Santa Monica Mountains this plant can found above 1500 feet elevation on northern slopes. If you have ever had the unfortunate experience of being lost off trail, you know how formidable a patch of manzanita can be to your progress. A canopy of blooming manzanitas is one of the most pleasant experiences you could have on a chaparral covered hillside.
White, urn-shaped flowers appear in winter - interestingly enough, the plant presets the next years blooms from the previous season. Arctostaphylos glauca usually flower a month or so before Arctostaphylos glandulosa. Manzanitas are buzz pollinated by bumblebees - the bee vibrates its thorax at a specific frequency which causes the flower to release its pollen. In summer, the flowers are followed by large reddish-brown, sticky berries which coyotes and other animals feast on (Arctostaphylos translates to "bear-grape"). Blooming time normally ranges from December to March. The artistic, crooked nature of Manzanita's branches is caused by its flowering; after bloom, branches find a new growth path above the flowers, rather than continuing in the same direction. Bark peels off in shavings once a year, signaling the transition between blooming and dormancy. Leaves are dull green or dark green, hairy, rigid, 1-2 inches long, and oval and pointed. Leaves are nearly always held perpendicular to the sun’s face, an adaptation to limit moisture loss during the summer. Every summer, the outer layer of red bark peels off as the growing green layer underneath expands. Manzanita means "little apple" in Spanish, and its berries have been used by humans for food and drink. Its leaves had various medicinal uses, alleviating the pain and discomfort of headaches, sores and even poison oak.
Manzanita varieties would be attractive plants to have in your garden. If you are so inclined, you may wish to consult the book California Native Plants for the Garden, which devotes 8 pages to the subject. Manzanitas prefer acidic, well-draining soil and a well ventilated location.
Link to Calflora.net - the best source of this fascinating information
Arctostaphylos – from two Greek words arktos, "bear," and staphule, "a bunch of grapes," referring to the common name of the first-known species, and also perhaps alluding to bears feeding on the grape-like fruits.
glauca – glaucous, from the Greek meaning "bluish-gray," referring primarily to the leaves, and specifically to "bloom," the fine, whitish powder that coats the leaves of certain plants.
Contributed by George Sherman
