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Ericaceae
Pinemat Manzanita Flower
Arctostaphylos nevadensis
Mountain resilience and humble beauty.
- Family
- Ericaceae
- Genus
- Arctostaphylos
- Native to
- western United States
- Bloom season
- Late Spring, Early Summer
- Type
- evergreen ground cover shrub
- Height
- 10–30 cm
- Sunlight
- full sun to part shade
- Soil
- well-drained, acidic, rocky
- Water
- low
- Hardiness
- 5–8
- Lifespan
- perennial; long-lived
Did you know
- It forms dense, prostrate mats on mountain slopes, rarely exceeding 30 cm tall even after decades.
- The name 'manzanita' is Spanish for 'little apple', describing the small berry-like fruits.
- Arctostaphylos means 'bear grape' in Greek — bears eagerly forage for the mealy red berries.
- Native Americans ground the dried berries into flour and brewed the leaves as a tea for urinary complaints.
- Its waxy, leathery leaves are an adaptation to survive the intense UV radiation at high mountain elevations.
Color meanings
White
purity of high places
Pink
gentle strength