Green Leaf Manzanita
Arctostaphylos patula
Family: Heath Family (Ericaceae)
Leaves: Ovate to rounded; 1-1 ¾” long; smooth; bright green
Flowers: Flowers are bell-shaped, creamy white with pink hues. Large fuzzy berries in the fall
Blooms: May and June
Bark: Smooth, red bark is very distinctive, and peels away to expose pale new green bark growth underneath.
Habitat: Gravelly, barren, sandy or dry rocky slopes; serpentine outcrops; especially burned or logged areas. Common in post-fire brush communities. Sprouts from basal burl or root crown. Common in CA chaparral.
Comments: Several varieties grow forming enormous tree-like bushes (along Deer Springs Trail in Idyllwild) to low spreading shrub (along lower RV trail). Tea made from the berries was used to treat constipation; tea from the bark, diarrhea. Excellent browse for deer. Berries eaten by deer, small mammals, birds. “Manzanita” is Spanish for “little apple;” Genus name Arctostaphylos mean “beargrape” (Gr.) referring to the fondness shown by bears for fruits of these shrubs.
Photo: © Colin Barrows