About Arctostaphylos nevadensis A.Gray
Arctostaphylos nevadensis, a species in the manzanita group, is a short, spreading shrub that grows into mats, tangles, or mounds less than half a meter tall. Larger branches of this shrub have dull red bark, and its twigs are generally woolly. Its leaves are bright green, shiny, and bear few hairs, with most hairs found along the leaf edges. The leaves measure between 1 and 3 centimeters, or 1/2 to 1 and 1/4 inches, in length. When blooming, this shrub produces clusters of spherical, urn-shaped whitish manzanita flowers. Its fruit is a spherical drupe around 7 millimeters, or 1/4 of an inch, wide. Arctostaphylos nevadensis is native to western North America, ranging from Washington to California. It grows in coniferous forests located in inland and coastal mountain ranges, and it is a dominant shrub in mountain understory chaparral across many areas. This species is cultivated for use as a chaparral landscaping plant, and it is also employed to stabilize soil and prevent erosion on mountain slopes.
