California Native Plant an Analysis

California Native Plant An Analysis of the a. manzanita The manzanita is a perennial shrub of the ericaceae family, native to California. The manzanita enjoys its most active growth during the spring and summer months of the year. While different varieties of the Arctostaphylos manzanita offer varying distinctive characteristics (there are over forty different species of Arctostaphylos in California), the most common (the A. manzanita Parry) bears a white glandular flower and produces a "glabrous to hairy" fruit, 8-12 mm wide.

Its ecological habitat is of the Outer and Inner North Coast Ranges, the Cascade Range Foothills, and the Sierra Nevada Foothills, the San Francisco Bay Area. This paper will discuss the Arctostaphylos manzanita in all of its varying aspects. Aside from being an attractive addition to surroundings at or below an elevation of 1500 ft the A. manzanita does not offer much practical use in the way of berry or seed product, fodder product, or fuel or lumber product.

It can be a valuable product for nurseries, but as far as providing edible or medicinal value, the A. manzanita has a low palatability for browsing and grazing animals, and zero palatability for humans. Its protein potential is also likewise low. What then is the value of the A. manzanita? Depending upon which variety you obtain, the A. manzanita offers an aesthetic value that can compliment any native Californian setting. For example, the leaves of the A.

manzanita Parry are erect petioles of 6-12 mm, with blades of 2-5 cm and 1-3.5 cm wide, usually in an oblong or oval aspect, with bright, shiny green surfaces, glabrous and smooth. The stems are twig-like and smooth and the white flowers hang upside down and are small (a quarter of an inch in length) and shaped like a cup. The bark of the somewhat crooked branches is reddish in color and the shrub can grow up to 15 ft in height.

Some local tradition has it that the berries the shrub provides can be brewed into a cider, but when ingested in large quantities the fruit is likely to upset the stomach. The Dr. Hurd manzanita tree is available in a one gallon container from Las Pilitas Nursery for $8.99. The Dr. Hurd manzanita is an evergreen hybrid shrub and is said to better suited to garden conditions than other manzanitas like the A. glauca. The Dr. Hurd also is well-suited to clay soil and can even survive in sandy soil.

It is a drought tolerant plant and would work well in any xeriscaped setting. This particular hybrid was named for Dr. Cuthbert Hurd, in whose garden the plant was found -- most likely a cross between the A. manzanita and the A. stanfordiana. Apparently, these two species frequently occur in the Sonoma County region and often form new hybrids.

Other manzanitas of California (which can range in height from two inches to nearly twenty ft, depending on whether they exist in coastal or interior ranges -- the taller are found in the interior). Because the manzanita is mycorrhizal, it is able to survive in some of the harshest conditions, where other plants might die. Mycorrhizal is an attribute that describes how "native plants share moisture and nutrition" (Las Pilitas Nursery).

What it refers to is the different fungi that "provide a much larger root system, 100 times longer, and up to 2000 times more surface area. Mycorrhiza develop a soil community that supports friendly bacteria, nematodes, springtails, earthworms, etc., and inhibits herbivores and pathogens" (Las Pilitas Nursery). This is the reason the manzanita is such an excellent survivor: it has good roots. Thus, the manzanita can grow for over a century if the conditions are right.

Manzanitas also serve as a good source of nectar for some of the more pleasant fauna of nature: butterflies and hummingbirds. The manzanita, therefore, is a shrub that can bring an element of natural beauty to the native Californian landscape. A view of the different hybrids that are available may give some indication of the different varieties of manzanitas available for different tastes. First, there is the "Austin Griffith" manzanita -- which is a cross between the A. densiflora and the Dr. Hurd.

It can reach a height of 10 ft and a width of 6 ft. It is a flowering shrub (the flowers are small and pink) and the leaves are glossy and green. And it is a great attracter of hummingbirds. Next, there is the "Baby Bear" manzanita -- and it reaches a height of 6 ft and a width of about the same. In all other aspects it is similar to the "Austin Griffith." It is a cross between the A. stanfordiana bakeri and the A.

densiflora -- which accounts for the noted similarities. Then there is the "Emerald Carpet" manzanita -- a cross between A. uva-ursi and A. nummularia. This particular manzanita requires special care: its survival depends upon taking root in rich soil and is ideal for gardens, because it needs watering to stay green. For this reason the "Emerald Carpet" is not a drought tolerant manzanita. The "Greensphere" manzanita is a cross between A. nummularia and A. uva-ursi as well.

Unlike the "Emerald Carpet," however, it does not require much attention and should grow quite consistently with little care. The "Margarita Pearl" manzanita grows large white flowers and big berries and the leaves are gray. The "Margarita Pearl" can reach up to 8 ft high. A good example of a coastal manzanita would be the.