Natural History Wanderings

Winter is a prime bloom time for many Manzanitas

Manzanitas  or Arctostaphylos(its scientific name) are one of the largest genera in the California flora.  The  Jepson Manual lists 96 species and sub-species of Arctostaphylos.  Manzanita means little apple in Spanish.  When you see manzanitas in fruit it will be obvious where the name comes from.  Identifying manzanitas is very difficult as you need to look at many features of the plant in addition to the flowers such as new flower buds, fruits, twigs, leaves, and burls.   I have photographed most of the manzanitas now in bloom at the Regional Parks Botanic Garden (Berkeley, CA).   All photos were taken on December 24 except the Hearst Manzanita which was taken on December 12.  If you are interested in seeing manzanitas now is the time to get out in see them both at botanic gardens and in the wild.  For more information on manzanitas go to Wikipedia for a brief overview or the Flora of North America for a more technical description.
Wikipedia Arctostaphylos page
Flora of North America Arctostaphylos page

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