Arctostaphylos glauca

Identification

Description

Big berry Manzanita is an evergreen shrub to small tree, with red-brown bark, 7-10' foot high and wide. It will be lower and wider where there is snow. In the Mt. Pinos area the bush grows 2-3' tall and 5-6' wide. A gray green foliage that can look white if you make the plant happy. If the plant is overwatered or fertilized it will be greener. Native to middle coast ranges to Palm Springs area. In the Cuyama area it interfaces mountain climate with desert climate very well. Big berry manzanita is native in its range with Arctostaphylos parryana, Atriplex canescens and A. polycarpa, Juniperus californica, Chrysothamnus nauseosus, Eriogonum fasciculatum, Rhamnus californica, Pinus sabiniana, P. monophylla, Atriplex tridentata, Happlopappus linearifolius, Adenostoma fasciculatum, Sambucus mexicana, Salix lasiolepis, S. hindsiana, S. lae.,S. exigua, Quercus agrifolia, Q. chyrsolepsis, Q. lobata , Q. alvordiana, and Q. dumosa. Needs good drainage and garden water the first year, then quite drought tolerant. Partially ripe berries make good manzanita jelly. This manzanita is more susceptible to red leaf spot gall near the coast. Big berry Manzanita is very effective in desert areas, stunning in the San Joaquin Valley, and tolerates alkaline soil well. Young, unprotected plants made it through here this year at -4 degrees F. with the ground frozen to 15". A one gallon plant will commonly make a 3 foot manzanita tree in two years, if you can stand cutting it down.