Practical
Plants

Arctostaphylos tomentosa

Downy 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
1.5 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[10][20][2][5]. Sweet, dry and mealy[17]. An important food for native tribes, it can also be dried for winter use[9]. When dried and baked into a bread it is relished by the native Indian tribes[10]. If harvested when not quite ripe, it can be used like a tart apple[10]. A cooling sub-acid drink can be made from the fruit[10][14]. The fruit is about 8 - 10mm in diameter[11]. Seed - ground into a powder and used to make mush, biscuits etc[20][14]. The seed is very small and would be difficult to separate from the fruit. It would be easier to dry the whole fruit, grind this into a powder and use it in soups etc[K].

Plant part
Fruit
Plant part
Seed

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[15]. These leaves should be harvested in early autumn, only green leaves being selected, and then dried in gentle heat[15]. A tea made from the dried leaves is strongly astringent, diuretic and an antiseptic for the urinary tract[15][13]. It is much used for kidney and bladder complaints and inflammation of the urinary tract, but it should be used with caution[15][12][16][8] because it contains arbutin which hydrolyzes into the toxic urinary antiseptic hydroquinone[13]. An infusion of the bark powder has been used in the treatment of lung haemorrhages[14]. A cider made from the fruit has been used as an appetizer to create appetite and treat stomach complaints[14]. Although the report does not specify, the cider was probably unfermented[K].

Product or use
Antiseptic
Product or use
Appetizer
Product or use
Astringent
Product or use
Diuretic
Product or use
Stomachic

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 wood is used for making fine furniture[17].

Product or use
Dye
Product or use
Wood

Environment

Range
South-western N. America - California.
Habitat
Sandy places[18] on the edge of Pinus radiata forests and on windy coastal bluffs below 150 metres[6].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
light shade
Water
moderate
Hardiness
Zone 8+
Soil textures
sandy, loamy
Soil pH
very acid, acid
Drainage
well drained
Tolerances
high wind, maritime exposure
Wind
Yes
Maritime
Yes
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 cold frame or greenhouse 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. The cuttings are very slow and can take a year to root[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[3][6][11] in sun or semi-shade but plants produce less fruit when they are grown in the shade[11]. Tolerates maritime exposure. This species is not hardy in the colder areas of the country, it tolerates temperatures down to between -5 and -10°c[11]. Very closely related to A. columbiana but with a more southerly range[3]. Plants can regenerate after a forest fire from a mallee-like base[6]. Plants resent root disturbance and should be placed in their final positions as soon as possible[3][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↩3↩4

  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.

    ↩

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

    ↩1↩2↩3

  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. Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books 1984-00-00 ISBN 3874292169

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

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4

  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↩6

  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

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

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4

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

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  17. Usher. G. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable 1974-00-00 ISBN 0094579202

    ↩1↩2

  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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  20. Balls. E. K. Early Uses of Californian Plants. University of California Press 1975-00-00 ISBN 0-520-00072-2

    ↩1↩2

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