About Arctostaphylos viscida Parry
Arctostaphylos viscida Parry, commonly called sticky whiteleaf manzanita, is a treelike shrub that can grow up to 5 meters (16 feet) tall. Its stems may be smooth or fuzzy, and are often glandular. The leaves are rounded to oval, sometimes slightly toothed or lined with hairs along the edges, and usually dull green on both surfaces. When in bloom, the shrub is heavily covered in dense, clustered inflorescences made up of urn-shaped white to pale pink flowers. Its fruits are shiny red or greenish-brown drupes, between half a centimeter and one centimeter wide. The seeds of this species require fire to germinate. Arctostaphylos viscida grows in chaparral and coniferous forests at some elevations, and is native to California and Oregon. This species is highly drought-resistant and can tolerate mafic soils. In Northern California, it acts as an indicator species for serpentine soil, though it is not restricted to growing only on this soil type. The Miwok people of northern California historically used the fruit of this plant to make cider.
