Popular Studies of California Wild Flozvcrs 33 



The Manzanita (Arctostaphylos) 

 Heath Family 



By Bertha M. Rice 



One of the most interesting shrubs in the world is the Manzanita 

 (Arctostaphylos). In the early days of California it was one of 

 the very first things to attract the attention of the traveler. It is 

 still so typical and characteristic a feature of this State that it deserves 

 especial attention. Although an extremely handsome shrub, the 

 Manzanita is something more than merely decorative. It has played 

 its part in the history of our land, and is still much beloved by the 

 bees and the birds, the chipmunk, the fox and the coyote. 



This unusual shrub or little tree never fails to win exclamations 

 of surprise and delight from visitors to our land when first they 

 note its unusual coloring and quaint appearance. For whether deli- 

 cately crowned with faintly flushed little alabaster globes lighting 

 the way for those industrious gatherers of honey, the bees, or feast- 

 ing with its dark red berries the hungry quail and other small colo- 

 nists of the woodland, it is alike an interesting and lovely thing. No 

 less attractive is it in its season of rest, for its rich red wood, so 

 clean and highly polished, its curiously contorted branches, and its 

 good-looking foliage are ever unique and charming to the beholder. 



When Fremont was making the difficult journey down the 

 slopes of the Sierra Nevada Mountains near the American River 

 with his famished party of men and horses, he took occasion to 

 comment on the Manzanita when writing in his very interesting 

 journal. He says: "A new and singular shrub, which has made its 

 appearance since crossing the mountains, was very frequent today. 

 It branched out near the ground, forming a clump eight or ten 

 feet high, with pale green leaves of an oval form ; and the body and 

 branches had a naked appearance, as if stripped of the bark, which 

 is smooth and thin, of a chocolate color, contrasting well with the 

 pale green of the leaves." It is remarkable that Fremont could 

 think of such things as trees and shrubs when writing of the trials 

 and hardships of his party on their journey down into the Sacra- 

 mento Valley, through the rugged Sierra Nevada Mountains, in late 

 winter. He mentioned the Manzanita twice; the second time to 

 tell that it was then in bloom with little white, globe-shaped flowers. 



The Manzanita has been most famous with travelers from the 

 East on account of its beauty of polished dark red bark, and of its 

 singular habit of twisting and turning so that the collector of canes 

 is forever baffled by this most desirable shrub in trying to find a 

 straight limb. We have read of a standing offer of a reward of 

 five thousand dollars from an Eastern institution for a perfectly 

 straight piece of Manzanita five feet long. The holder of the reward 

 money need never worry. 



Manzanita is a pretty Spanish name meaning "Little Apples." 

 The scientific name, Arctostaphylos, is translated as "Bear-Berry." 

 But the true Bear-Berry is the Arctostaphylos uva-ursi, which is 



