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Arctostaphylos
Also called Bearberry, Bearberries, Manzanitas, Bearberries And Manzanitas
Arctostaphylos is a genus of about 107 shrubs and small trees in the heath family, mostly from California, known as manzanitas or bearberries. Most grown plants are drought-tolerant California natives or hybrids, and the key is fast-draining soil with little summer water.
Arctostaphylos (/ˌɑːrktoʊˈstæfɪləs, -lɒs/; from ἄρκτος árktos "bear" and σταφυλή staphulḗ "bunch of grapes") is a genus of plants within the family Ericaceae. Many plants within the genus Arctostaphylos are also commonly called manzanitas(/ˌmænzəˈniːtəz/) or bearberries. There are 107 taxa within Arctostaphylos, 106 of which are found in the California floristic province. From prostrate shrubs to small erect trees, Arctostaphylos is known for characteristic red bark, urn-shaped flowers and being fire adapted .
Arctostaphylos are used in the horticultural trade across much of California. Prized for being drought tolerant, low maintenance and aesthetically interesting, Arctostaphylos hybrids and cultivars are common across many gardens.
The majority of Arctostaphylos species can be found within the California floristic province. However one species, A. uva-ursi (common bearberry), is adapted to arctic and subarctic climates and has a circumpolar distribution in northern North America, Asia and Europe.
Vine Hill manzanita · Little Sur manzanita · Hooker's manzanita · Montara manzanita · Morro manzanita · Kinnikinnick · Sticky whiteleaf manzanita · Mission manzanita
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Arctostaphylos by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.
