The Giant Manzanitas of Clear Lake, California 



Bv 0. II A \< T M ER RI AM 



IX tlu' wanner parts oC Calilornia 

 liundreds of square miles of Jiill 

 slopes are densely covered with a 

 continuous mass of rigid bushes or 

 brush of many species, usually wind- 

 trimmed to a common height, and col- 

 lectively known as "chaparral." The 

 component shrubs vary locally, but as a 

 rule consist mainly of species of wild 

 lilac (Ceanothus), manzanita (Arclo- 

 staphylos), chemisal (Adenostoma) , 

 scrub oak (Quercus), buckthorn 

 (Rhamnus), and toyon or Christnuis 

 berry (Heteromcles). witli representa- 

 tives of many other genera. ^ 



Of these, the manzanitas, because of 

 their smooth red Ijranches and in some 

 cases also because of the pale color of 

 the foliage, stand out most conspicu- 

 ously. In dense chaparral they conform 

 in height to the associated species (say 

 four to six feet), but in more open situ- 

 ations they grow in compact clumps ten 

 to twelve or even fifteen feet in height. 

 This is particularly true of the green- 

 leaf species known as Arctostaphylos 

 manzanita, which often becomes the 

 dominant social type over areas of con- 

 siderable extent. 



In places along the west flank of the 

 Sierra Nevada, on certain slopes of Mt. 

 St. Helena and Mt. Konokti in I^ake 

 County, in the upper valley of Russian 

 River, and in a few other localities, the 

 manzanitas attain still larger size, while 

 on flat ground on the west side of Clear 

 Lake near its junction with Upper 

 Lake,2 they reaeli their highest develop- 

 ment, foi'niing a veritalile forc'st about 



' Among the other genera of rather widespread 

 distribution are Cercocarpun. Erioilicti/on, Den- 

 dromecon, Xiilnthermia, Lonicera, Liipinux, Diphi- 

 rim, Chri/xoma, Uoxackia, Baccharw, Garri/n, Rhu.i, 

 liamona, and S/iltacHe. 



- Particularly on the ranrhes of R. S. Ko'lman 

 and Dr. W. Barclay Stephens. 



twenty-five feet in height, although 

 man}' of the slanting limbs measure 

 thirty feet, with hundreds of trunks 

 whose diameters exceed a foot and some 

 that attain the extraordinary thickness 

 of upward of two feet. 



Owing to the closeness of stand of 

 the individual trees and the persistence 

 and rigidity of the dead trunks and 

 branches, this wonderful forest in a 

 state of nature is almost impenetrable, 

 but where thinned by man it is eon- 

 \erted into an open grove of surprising 

 beauty. The ground beneath is carpeted 

 with the old dry leaves and large dark 

 red berries, while the smoothly polished 

 trunks of deep red, suggesting the ma- 

 drones of the coast belt, support an 

 arbor-like canopy of light yellow-green 

 foliage which overarches the paths and 

 roadways with a lattice of flickering- 

 shadows, affording welcome protection 

 from the hot summer sun. 



There are dwarf forests in other 

 places — some on the coast, some in the 

 interior, some on the bleak summits of 

 lofty mountains, some on the warm bot- 

 toms of fertile valleys, but none like the 

 manzanita forests of Clear Lake. The 

 others attract the attention because of 

 their stunted size ; the Clear Lake man- 

 zanitas because of their large size — 

 large in contrast with the usual bushy 

 form characteristic of manzanitas else- 

 where. But the effect is the same, both 

 types resulting in dwarf forests whose 

 Ijranches and foliage form a canopy 

 low down over our heads. In both cases 

 there is a something about them — an 

 intangible something — that makes them 

 peculiarly attractive. Is it their rarity 

 and unfamiliar aspect? Or is it the 

 fact that th(>y are nearer our own size, 

 bringing us in clos(n- touch with their 



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