''Arctostaphylos'' (; from "bear" and "bunch of grapes") is a

genus Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...

plants Plants are the eukaryotes that form the kingdom Plantae; they are predominantly photosynthetic. This means that they obtain their energy from sunlight, using chloroplasts derived from endosymbiosis with cyanobacteria to produce sugars f ...

comprising the

manzanita Manzanita is a common name for many species of the genus '' Arctostaphylos''. They are evergreen shrubs or small trees present in the chaparral biome of western North America, where they occur from Southern British Columbia and Washington to O ...

s () and bearberries. There are about 60 species of ''Arctostaphylos'', ranging from ground-hugging arctic, coastal, and mountain

shrub A shrub or bush is a small to medium-sized perennial woody plant. Unlike herbaceous plants, shrubs have persistent woody stems above the ground. Shrubs can be either deciduous or evergreen. They are distinguished from trees by their multiple ...

to small

tree In botany, a tree is a perennial plant with an elongated stem, or trunk, usually supporting branches and leaves. In some usages, the definition of a tree may be narrower, e.g., including only woody plants with secondary growth, only ...

s up to tall. Most are

evergreen In botany, an evergreen is a plant which has Leaf, foliage that remains green and functional throughout the year. This contrasts with deciduous plants, which lose their foliage completely during the winter or dry season. Consisting of many diffe ...

(one species

deciduous In the fields of horticulture and botany, the term deciduous () means "falling off at maturity" and "tending to fall off", in reference to trees and shrubs that seasonally shed Leaf, leaves, usually in the autumn; to the shedding of petals, aft ...

), with small oval

leaves A leaf (: leaves) is a principal appendage of the stem of a vascular plant, usually borne laterally above ground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", while the leaves, stem, ...

long, arranged spirally on the stems. The

flowers Flowers, also known as blooms and blossoms, are the reproductive structures of flowering plants ( angiosperms). Typically, they are structured in four circular levels, called whorls, around the end of a stalk. These whorls include: calyx, m ...

are bell-shaped, white or pale pink, and borne in small clusters of 2–20 together; flowering is in the spring. The

fruit In botany, a fruit is the seed-bearing structure in flowering plants (angiosperms) that is formed from the ovary after flowering. Fruits are the means by which angiosperms disseminate their seeds. Edible fruits in particular have long propaga ...

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

larva A larva (; : larvae ) is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into their next life stage. Animals with indirect development such as insects, some arachnids, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase ...

e of some

Lepidoptera Lepidoptera ( ) or lepidopterans is an order (biology), order of winged insects which includes butterflies and moths. About 180,000 species of the Lepidoptera have been described, representing 10% of the total described species of living organ ...

species including ''

Coleophora arctostaphyli ''Coleophora arctostaphyli'' is a moth of the family Coleophoridae. It is found in Europe. Description The wingspan is . The larvae feed on ''Arctostaphylos uva-ursi''. Distribution It is found from Fennoscandia to the Iberian Peninsula and It ...

'' (which feeds exclusively on ''A. uva-ursi'') and ''

Coleophora glaucella ''Coleophora glaucella'' is a moth of the family Coleophoridae. It is found in the United States, including California. The larvae feed on the leaves of ''Arctostaphylos glauca ''Arctostaphylos glauca'' is a species of manzanita known by the ...

''.

Distribution

Manzanita Manzanita is a common name for many species of the genus '' Arctostaphylos''. They are evergreen shrubs or small trees present in the chaparral biome of western North America, where they occur from Southern British Columbia and Washington to O ...

s, the bulk of ''Arctostaphylos'' species, are present in the

chaparral Chaparral ( ) is a shrubland plant plant community, community found primarily in California, southern Oregon, and northern Baja California. It is shaped by a Mediterranean climate (mild wet winters and hot dry summers) and infrequent, high-intens ...

biome of western

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere, Northern and Western Hemisphere, Western hemispheres. North America is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South Ameri ...

, where they occur from southern

British Columbia British Columbia is the westernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Situated in the Pacific Northwest between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains, the province has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

Washington Washington most commonly refers to: * George Washington (1732–1799), the first president of the United States * Washington (state), a state in the Pacific Northwest of the United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A ...

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

and

New Mexico New Mexico is a state in the Southwestern United States, Southwestern region of the United States. It is one of the Mountain States of the southern Rocky Mountains, sharing the Four Corners region with Utah, Colorado, and Arizona. It also ...

in the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

, and throughout much of northern and central

Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...

. One species, however, '' A. uva-ursi'' (common bearberry), is adapted to

arctic The Arctic (; . ) is the polar regions of Earth, polar region of Earth that surrounds the North Pole, lying within the Arctic Circle. The Arctic region, from the IERS Reference Meridian travelling east, consists of parts of northern Norway ( ...

and

subarctic The subarctic zone is a region in the Northern Hemisphere immediately south of the true Arctic, north of hemiboreal regions and covering much of Alaska, Canada, Iceland, the north of Fennoscandia, Northwestern Russia, Siberia, and the Cair ...

climates and has a circumpolar distribution in northern

Asia Asia ( , ) is the largest continent in the world by both land area and population. It covers an area of more than 44 million square kilometres, about 30% of Earth's total land area and 8% of Earth's total surface area. The continent, which ...

and

Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...

. An unusual association of manzanita occurs on

Hood Mountain Mount Hood, also known as Hood Mountain, is a mountain near the southeastern edge of Santa Rosa, California, at the northeast of the Sonoma Valley and attains a height of . The original name was Mount Wilikos, an Indian name meaning "willows. ...

, in

Sonoma County, California Sonoma County ( ) is a county located in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 United States census, its population was 488,863. Its seat of government and largest city is Santa Rosa. Sonoma County comprises the Santa Rosa-Petaluma ...

, where stands of

pygmy forest A "natural National Park in the Philippines, a UNESCO World Heritage Site file:Mount Kemiri (8187817161).jpg, An elfin forest in Sumatra's Gunung Leuser National Park Dwarf forest, elfin forest, or pygmy forest is an uncommon ecosystem feat ...

dominated by Hesperocyparis sargentii are found.

Fossil record

One

fossil A fossil (from Classical Latin , ) is any preserved remains, impression, or trace of any once-living thing from a past geological age. Examples include bones, shells, exoskeletons, stone imprints of animals or microbes, objects preserve ...

of †''Arctostaphylos globula'' and several fossil fruits of †''Arctostaphylos menzelii'' have been described from

middle Miocene The Middle Miocene is a sub-epoch of the Miocene epoch (geology), epoch made up of two Stage (stratigraphy), stages: the Langhian and Serravallian stages. The Middle Miocene is preceded by the Early Miocene. The sub-epoch lasted from 15.97 ± 0. ...

strata In geology and related fields, a stratum (: strata) is a layer of Rock (geology), rock or sediment characterized by certain Lithology, lithologic properties or attributes that distinguish it from adjacent layers from which it is separated by v ...

of the Fasterholt area near

Silkeborg Silkeborg () is a Denmark, Danish town with a population of 52,571 (1 January 2025).Jutland Jutland (; , ''Jyske Halvø'' or ''Cimbriske Halvø''; , ''Kimbrische Halbinsel'' or ''Jütische Halbinsel'') is a peninsula of Northern Europe that forms the continental portion of Denmark and part of northern Germany (Schleswig-Holstein). It ...

Denmark Denmark is a Nordic countries, Nordic country in Northern Europe. It is the metropole and most populous constituent of the Kingdom of Denmark,, . also known as the Danish Realm, a constitutionally unitary state that includes the Autonomous a ...

Cultivation

Cultivation is generally difficult due to

fungal A fungus (: fungi , , , or ; or funguses) is any member of the group of eukaryotic organisms that includes microorganisms such as yeasts and molds, as well as the more familiar mushrooms. These organisms are classified as one of the tradit ...

diseases, and often salinity and alkalinity. Overhead watering should be avoided in hot weather. Some

cultivar A cultivar is a kind of Horticulture, cultivated plant that people have selected for desired phenotypic trait, traits and which retains those traits when Plant propagation, propagated. Methods used to propagate cultivars include division, root a ...

s 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 catalinae'', known by the common name Santa Catalina Island manzanita, is a species of manzanita native to Southern California. The evergreen shrub is found growing naturally only on Catalina and Santa Cruz Islands on the coast ...

'' *'' Arctostaphylos caucasica'' *''

Arctostaphylos columbiana ''Arctostaphylos columbiana'' is a species of Arctostaphylos, manzanita known by the common name hairy manzanita. It is native to the coast of western North America from northern California to southwestern British Columbia. This large manzanita i ...

'' *'' Arctostaphylos confertiflora'' *'' Arctostaphylos cratericola'' *'' Arctostaphylos crustacea'' *'' Arctostaphylos cruzensis'' *'' Arctostaphylos densiflora'' *'' Arctostaphylos edmundsii'' *'' Arctostaphylos franciscana'' *'' Arctostaphylos gabilanensis'' *''

Arctostaphylos glandulosa ''Arctostaphylos glandulosa'', with the common name Eastwood's manzanita, is a species of manzanita. Description ''Arctostaphylos glandulosa'' is an erect shrub reaching up to in height. It is bristly and sometimes glandular, secreting sticky ...

'' *''

Arctostaphylos glauca ''Arctostaphylos glauca'' is a species of manzanita known by the common name bigberry manzanita. It is native to California and Baja California, where it grows in the chaparral and woodland of coastal and inland hills. Description ''Arctostaphy ...

'' *'' 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'' (; from "bear" and "bunch of grapes") is a genus of plants comprising the manzanitas () and bearberry, bearberries. There are about 60 species of ''Arctostaphylos'', ranging from ground-hugging arctic, coastal, and mountai ...

'' *'' Arctostaphylos mewukka'' *'' Arctostaphylos montana'' *'' Arctostaphylos montaraensis'' *'' Arctostaphylos montereyensis'' *'' Arctostaphylos moranii'' *'' Arctostaphylos morroensis'' *'' Arctostaphylos myrtifolia'' *'' Arctostaphylos nevadensis'' *'' Arctostaphylos nissenana'' *'' Arctostaphylos nortensis'' *''

Arctostaphylos nummularia ''Arctostaphylos nummularia'' is a species of Arctostaphylos, manzanita known by the common names glossyleaf manzanita, dwarf manzanita and Fort Bragg manzanita. It is Endemism, endemic to California, where it grows in the forests of the coastal ...

'' *'' Arctostaphylos obispoensis'' *'' Arctostaphylos ohloneana'' *'' Arctostaphylos osoensis'' *'' Arctostaphylos otayensis'' *'' Arctostaphylos pacifica'' *'' Arctostaphylos pajaroensis'' *'' Arctostaphylos pallida'' *'' Arctostaphylos parryana'' *'' Arctostaphylos × parvifolia'' *''

Arctostaphylos patula ''Arctostaphylos patula'' is a species of manzanita known by the common name greenleaf manzanita. This manzanita is native to western North America where it grows at moderate to high elevations. Description This shrub reaches between in height ...

'' *'' Arctostaphylos pechoensis'' *'' Arctostaphylos peninsularis'' *'' Arctostaphylos pilosula'' *'' Arctostaphylos pringlei'' *'' Arctostaphylos pumila'' *''

Arctostaphylos pungens ''Arctostaphylos pungens'', with the common name pointleaf manzanita, is a species of manzanita. It is native to the Southwestern United States and to northern and central Mexico, where it grows in chaparral and woodland habitats, and on desert r ...

'' *'' Arctostaphylos purissima'' *'' Arctostaphylos rainbowensis'' *'' Arctostaphylos refugioensis'' *'' Arctostaphylos regismontana'' *''

Arctostaphylos × repens ''Arctostaphylos'' (; from "bear" and "bunch of grapes") is a genus of plants comprising the manzanitas () and bearberries. There are about 60 species of ''Arctostaphylos'', ranging from ground-hugging arctic, coastal, and mountain shrub to ...

'' *'' Arctostaphylos rudis'' *'' Arctostaphylos sensitiva'' *''

Arctostaphylos silvicola ''Arctostaphylos silvicola'' is a species of manzanita known by the common names Bonny Doon or silverleaf manzanita. It is endemic to the sandhills of the southern Santa Cruz Mountains in California's Santa Cruz and Santa Clara counties. Descr ...

'' *'' Arctostaphylos stanfordiana'' *''

Arctostaphylos × strigosa ''Arctostaphylos'' (; from "bear" and "bunch of grapes") is a genus of plants comprising the manzanitas () and bearberries. There are about 60 species of ''Arctostaphylos'', ranging from ground-hugging arctic, coastal, and mountain shrub to ...

'' *'' Arctostaphylos tomentosa'' *''

Arctostaphylos uva-ursi ''Arctostaphylos uva-ursi'' is a plant species of the genus ''Arctostaphylos'' widely distributed across circumboreal regions of the subarctic Northern Hemisphere. Kinnikinnick (from the Unami language for "smoking mixture") is a common name in ...

'' *'' Arctostaphylos virgata'' *'' Arctostaphylos viridissima'' *''

Arctostaphylos viscida ''Arctostaphylos viscida'', with the common names whiteleaf manzanita and sticky manzanita, is a species of Arctostaphylos, manzanita. Distribution ''Arctostaphylos viscida'' is a plant of chaparral and Temperate coniferous forest, coniferous ...

'' *'' Arctostaphylos wellsii''

Ranges

* Subgenus ''Micrococcus'' ** Sect. ''Micrococcus'' * Subgenus ''Arctostaphylos'', which has three

section Section, Sectioning, or Sectioned may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media * Section (music), a complete, but not independent, musical idea * Section (typography), a subdivision, especially of a chapter, in books and documents ** Section sig ...

s: ** Sect. ''Arctostaphylos'' ** Sect. ''Foliobracteata'' ** Sect. ''Pictobracteata'' * Unassigned See also the closely related genus ''

Comarostaphylis ''Comarostaphylis'' is a genus of shrubs in the heath family native to the Americas from California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It bor ...

'', previously often included in ''Arctostaphylos''.

References

External links

Jepson Manual Treatment
{{Authority control Ericaceae genera 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 Taxa named by Michel Adanson