Practical
Plants

Arctostaphylos glauca

Bigberry Manzanita

a perennial woody evergreen member of the Arctostaphylos genus in the family Ericaceae.

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Taxonomy and growth

Family
Ericaceae
Life cycle
perennial
Foliage
evergreen
Woodiness
woody
Height
4 m
Fertility
Self fertile, Bees, Self
Flower type
hermaphrodite
Pollinators
Bees, Self

Uses

Edible uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Fruit - raw or cooked[15]. The fruit is used fresh or it can be dried and ground into a powder then used to make mush or added to soups etc[2][5][9][14]. It can also be used to make preserves or a beverage that resembles cider in flavour[9]. A drink is made from the berries by sprinkling them with water, kneading them with the hands, mashing them and then soaking them in the sun for about 12 hours. The liquid is then sieved to remove the pulp before being drunk on its own or with Chia (see Salvia columbiana). Water could be drained through the pulp a second time. The liquid was said to be sweet and fattening[14]. The fruit is dry and with little flavour[10]. The seeds can be dried, ground into a powder and used to make a mush or cakes[14]. The seed is rather small, it would most probably have been used together with the fruit and not have been separated from it[K].

Product or use
Drink
Plant part
Fruit

Medicinal uses

Historical medicinal uses. These records describe reported uses. They do not establish safety or effectiveness. Ask a qualified health professional before using any plant medicinally.

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

The dried leaves are used in the treatment of a variety of complaints[16]. These leaves should be harvested in early autumn, only green leaves being selected, and then dried in gentle heat[16]. A tea made from the dried leaves is strongly astringent, diuretic and an antiseptic for the urinary tract[16][13]. It is much used for kidney and bladder complaints and inflammation of the urinary tract, but it should be used with caution[16][12][17][8] because it contains arbutin which hydrolyzes into the toxic urinary antiseptic hydroquinone[13]. Externally, an infusion is used to treat poison oak rash[14].

Product or use
Antiseptic
Product or use
Astringent
Product or use
Diuretic
Product or use
Skin

Material uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

A yellowish-brown dye is obtained from the leaves, it does not require a mordant[7]. The branches have been used to make a broom[14]. The wood makes a good fuel, producing a lot of heat and burning for a long time[14]. The wood is hard and tough. It is used for making small tools, awl handles etc[14].

Product or use
Broom
Product or use
Dye
Product or use
Fuel
Product or use
Wood

Environment

Range
South-western N. America - S. California.
Habitat
Dry slopes below 1500 metres[18].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
light shade
Water
moderate
Hardiness
Zone 8+
Soil textures
sandy, loamy
Soil pH
very acid, acid
Drainage
well drained
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
intolerant

Propagation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Seed - best sown in a greenhouse as soon as it is ripe. Pre-soak dried seed in boiling water for 10 - 20 seconds or burn some straw on top of them and then stratify at 2 - 5°c for 2 months[3][11]. The seed usually germinates in 2 - 3 months at 15°c[4]. When large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in a greenhouse or cold frame for at least their first winter, Plant out in late spring or early summer. Cuttings of side shoots of the current season's growth, 5 - 8cm with a heel, August to December in a frame. Takes one year[1][19]. Division in early spring. Take care because the plant resents root disturbance. Pot the divisions up and keep them in a lightly shaded position in a cold frame or greenhouse until they are growing away actively. Layering in spring[11].

Cultivation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Requires a deep moist well-drained light or medium lime-free loam in sun or semi-shade[15][3][11] but plants produces less fruit when they are grown in the shade[11]. Prefers a warm sunny position[15][6]. Found on dry soils in the wild, one report says that it succeeds in a hot dry position. Hardy to between -5 and -10°c, succeeding outdoors in the milder parts of Britain[11]. Plants resent root disturbance and should be placed in their final positions as soon as possible[4].

References

  1. F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951-00-00

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  2. Tanaka. T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing 1976-00-00

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  3. Bean. W. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. Murray 1981-00-00

    ↩1↩2

  4. Rice. G. (Editor) Growing from Seed. Volume 2. Thompson and Morgan. 1988-00-00

    ↩1↩2

  5. Yanovsky. E. Food Plants of the N. American Indians. Publication no. 237. U.S. Depf of Agriculture.

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  6. Taylor. J. The Milder Garden. Dent 1990-00-00

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  7. Grae. I. Nature's Colors - Dyes from Plants. MacMillan Publishing Co. New York. 1974-00-00 ISBN 0-02-544950-8

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  8. Schofield. J. J. Discovering Wild Plants - Alaska, W. Canada and the Northwest.

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  9. Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9

    ↩1↩2

  10. Hedrick. U. P. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications 1972-00-00 ISBN 0-486-20459-6

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  11. Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5

  12. Lust. J. The Herb Book. Bantam books 1983-00-00 ISBN 0-553-23827-2

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  13. Foster. S. & Duke. J. A. A Field Guide to Medicinal Plants. Eastern and Central N. America. Houghton Mifflin Co. 1990-00-00 ISBN 0395467225

    ↩1↩2

  14. Moerman. D. Native American Ethnobotany Timber Press. Oregon. 1998-00-00 ISBN 0-88192-453-9

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5↩6↩7

  15. Simmons. A. E. Growing Unusual Fruit. David and Charles 1972-00-00 ISBN 0-7153-5531-7

    ↩1↩2↩3

  16. Grieve. A Modern Herbal. Penguin 1984-00-00 ISBN 0-14-046-440-9

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4

  17. Uphof. J. C. Th. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim 1959-00-00

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  18. Munz. A California Flora. University of California Press 1959-00-00

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  19. Sheat. W. G. Propagation of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers. MacMillan and Co 1948-00-00

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