Arctostaphylos 'Emerald Carpet'

''Arctostaphylos'' (; from "bear" and "bunch of grapes") is a genus of plants comprising the manzanitas () and bearberries. They are shrubs or small trees.

There are about 60 species, of ''Arctostaphylos'', ranging from ground-hugging arctic, coastal, and mountain species to small trees up to 6 m tall. Most are evergreen (one species deciduous), with small oval leaves 1–7 cm long, arranged spirally on the stems. The flowers are bell-shaped, white or pale pink, and borne in small clusters of 2–20 together; flowering is in the spring. The fruit are small berries, ripening in the summer or autumn. The berries of some species are edible.

''Arctostaphylos'' species are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species including ''Coleophora arctostaphyli'' (which feeds exclusively on ''A. uva-ursi'') and '' Coleophora glaucella''.

Distribution

Manzanitas, the bulk of ''Arctostaphylos'' species, are present in the chaparral biome of western North America, where they occur from southern British Columbia in Canada, Washington to California and New Mexico in the United States, and throughout much of northern and central Mexico.

Three species, the bearberries, '' A. alpina'' (alpine bearberry), '' A. rubra'' (red bearberry) and '' A. uva-ursi'' (common bearberry), have adapted to arctic and subarctic climates, and have a circumpolar distribution in northern North America, Asia and Europe.

An unusual association of manzanita occurs on Hood Mountain, in Sonoma County, California, where stands of pygmy forest dominated by Mendocino cypress are found.

Fossil record

One fossil fruit of †''Arctostaphylos globula'' and several fossil fruits of †''Arctostaphylos menzelii'' have been described from middle Miocene strata of the Fasterholt area near Silkeborg, Denmark.

Cultivation

Cultivation is generally difficult due to fungal diseases, and often salinity and alkalinity. Overhead watering should be avoided in hot weather. Some cultivars are easier to grow.

Taxonomy

The following species are recognised in the genus ''Arctostaphylos'':

*''Arctostaphylos acutifolia''
*''Arctostaphylos andersonii''
*''Arctostaphylos auriculata''
*''Arctostaphylos australis''
*''Arctostaphylos bakeri''
*''Arctostaphylos bolensis''
*''Arctostaphylos canescens''
*''Arctostaphylos catalinae''
*''Arctostaphylos caucasica''
*''Arctostaphylos columbiana''
*''Arctostaphylos confertiflora''
*''Arctostaphylos cratericola''
*''Arctostaphylos crustacea''
*''Arctostaphylos cruzensis''
*''Arctostaphylos densiflora''
*''Arctostaphylos edmundsii''
*''Arctostaphylos franciscana''
*'' Arctostaphylos gabilanensis''
*'' Arctostaphylos glandulosa''
*'' Arctostaphylos glauca''
*''Arctostaphylos glutinosa''
*''Arctostaphylos × helleri''
*''Arctostaphylos hispidula''
*''Arctostaphylos hookeri''
*''Arctostaphylos hooveri''
*''Arctostaphylos imbricata''
*'' Arctostaphylos incognita''
*''Arctostaphylos insularis''
*'' Arctostaphylos × jepsonii''
*''Arctostaphylos klamathensis''
*'' Arctostaphylos × laxiflora''
*''Arctostaphylos luciana''
*''Arctostaphylos malloryi''
*''Arctostaphylos manzanita''
*''Arctostaphylos × media''
*''Arctostaphylos mewukka''
*''Arctostaphylos montana''
*''Arctostaphylos montaraensis''
*''Arctostaphylos montereyensis''
*''Arctostaphylos moranii''
*''Arctostaphylos morroensis''
*''Arctostaphylos myrtifolia''
*''Arctostaphylos nevadensis''
*''Arctostaphylos nissenana''
*''Arctostaphylos nortensis''
*''Arctostaphylos nummularia''
*''Arctostaphylos obispoensis''
*''Arctostaphylos ohloneana''
*''Arctostaphylos osoensis''
*''Arctostaphylos otayensis''
*''Arctostaphylos pacifica''
*''Arctostaphylos pajaroensis''
*''Arctostaphylos pallida''
*''Arctostaphylos parryana''
*'' Arctostaphylos × parvifolia''
*''Arctostaphylos patula''
*''Arctostaphylos pechoensis''
*''Arctostaphylos peninsularis''
*''Arctostaphylos pilosula''
*''Arctostaphylos pringlei''
*''Arctostaphylos pumila''
*''Arctostaphylos pungens''
*''Arctostaphylos purissima''
*''Arctostaphylos rainbowensis''
*''Arctostaphylos refugioensis''
*''Arctostaphylos regismontana''
*''Arctostaphylos × repens''
*'' Arctostaphylos rudis''
*''Arctostaphylos sensitiva''
*''Arctostaphylos silvicola''
*''Arctostaphylos stanfordiana''
*'' Arctostaphylos × strigosa''
*''Arctostaphylos tomentosa''
*''Arctostaphylos uva-ursi''
*'' Arctostaphylos virgata''
*''Arctostaphylos viridissima''
*''Arctostaphylos viscida''
*'' Arctostaphylos wellsii''

See also the closely related genus '' Comarostaphylis'', previously often included in ''Arctostaphylos''.

References

Further reading

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Treatment from the Jepson Manual
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{{Taxonbar, from=Q280566

Ericaceae genera
Flora of California
Flora of Mexico
Flora of Western Canada
Flora of the Western United States
Flora of British Columbia
Plants used in Native American cuisine
Plants used in traditional Native American medicine
Natural history of the California chaparral and woodlands
Garden plants of North America
Bird food plants
Drought-tolerant plants