# Arctostaphylos

Arctostaphylos (/ˌɑːrktoʊˈstæfɪləs, -lɒs/; from ἄρκτος árktos "bear" and σταφυλή staphulḗ "bunch of grapes") is a genus of plants comprising the manzanitas (/ˌmænzəˈniːtəz/) and bearberries. There are about 60 species of Arctostaphylos, ranging from ground-hugging arctic, coastal, and mountain shrub to small trees up to 6 m (20 ft) tall. Most are evergreen (one species deciduous), with small oval leaves 1–7 cm (0.4–3 in) long, arranged spirally on the stems. The flowers are bell-shaped, white or pale pink, and borne in small clusters of 2–20 together; flowering is in the spring. The fruit are small berries, ripening in the summer or autumn. The berries of some species are edible.
Arctostaphylos species are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species including Coleophora arctostaphyli (which feeds exclusively on A. uva-ursi) and Coleophora glaucella.

## Distribution

Manzanitas, the bulk of Arctostaphylos species, are present in the chaparral biome of western North America, where they occur from southern British Columbia in Canada, Washington to California and New Mexico in the United States, and throughout much of northern and central Mexico.
One species, however, A. uva-ursi (common bearberry), is adapted to arctic and subarctic climates and has a circumpolar distribution in northern North America, Asia and Europe.
An unusual association of manzanita occurs on Hood Mountain, in Sonoma County, California, where stands of pygmy forest dominated by Mendocino cypress are found.

## Fossil record

One fossil fruit of †Arctostaphylos globula and several fossil fruits of †Arctostaphylos menzelii have been described from middle Miocene strata of the Fasterholt area near Silkeborg in Central Jutland, Denmark.

## Cultivation

Cultivation is generally difficult due to fungal diseases, and often salinity and alkalinity. Overhead watering should be avoided in hot weather. Some cultivars are easier to grow.

## Taxonomy

The following species are recognised in the genus Arctostaphylos:
* Arctostaphylos acutifolia Eastw.
* Arctostaphylos andersonii A.Gray
* Arctostaphylos auriculata Eastw.
* Arctostaphylos australis Eastw.
* Arctostaphylos bakeri Eastw.
* Arctostaphylos bolensis P.V.Wells
* Arctostaphylos canescens Eastw.
* Arctostaphylos catalinae P.V.Wells
* Arctostaphylos caucasica Lipsch.
* Arctostaphylos columbiana Piper
* Arctostaphylos confertiflora Eastw.
* Arctostaphylos cratericola (Donn.Sm.) Donn.Sm.
* Arctostaphylos crustacea Eastw.
* Arctostaphylos cruzensis Roof
* Arctostaphylos densiflora M.S.Baker
* Arctostaphylos edmundsii J.T.Howell
* Arctostaphylos franciscana Eastw.
* Arctostaphylos gabilanensis V.T.Parker & M.C.Vasey
* Arctostaphylos glandulosa Eastw.
* Arctostaphylos glauca Lindl.
* Arctostaphylos glutinosa B.Schreib.
* Arctostaphylos × helleri Eastw.
* Arctostaphylos hispidula Howell
* Arctostaphylos hookeri G.Don
* Arctostaphylos hooveri P.V.Wells
* Arctostaphylos imbricata Eastw.
* Arctostaphylos incognita J.E.Keeley, Massihi, J.Delgad. & Hirales
* Arctostaphylos insularis Greene & Parry
* Arctostaphylos × jepsonii Eastw.
* Arctostaphylos klamathensis S.W.Edwards, Keeler-Wolf & W.Knight
* Arctostaphylos × laxiflora A.Heller ex Eastw.
* Arctostaphylos luciana P.V.Wells
* Arctostaphylos malloryi (W.Knight & Gankin) P.V.Wells
* Arctostaphylos manzanita Parry
* Arctostaphylos × media Greene
* Arctostaphylos mewukka Merriam
* Arctostaphylos montana Eastw.
* Arctostaphylos montaraensis Roof
* Arctostaphylos montereyensis Hoover
* Arctostaphylos moranii P.V.Wells
* Arctostaphylos morroensis Wiesl. & B.Schreib.
* Arctostaphylos myrtifolia Parry
* Arctostaphylos nevadensis A.Gray
* Arctostaphylos nissenana Merriam
* Arctostaphylos nortensis (P.V.Wells) P.V.Wells
* Arctostaphylos nummularia A.Gray
* Arctostaphylos obispoensis Eastw.
* Arctostaphylos ohloneana M.C.Vasey & V.T.Parker
* Arctostaphylos osoensis P.V.Wells
* Arctostaphylos otayensis Wiesl. & B.Schreib.
* Arctostaphylos pacifica Roof
* Arctostaphylos pajaroensis J.E.Adams
* Arctostaphylos pallida Eastw.
* Arctostaphylos parryana Lemmon
* Arctostaphylos × parvifolia Howell
* Arctostaphylos patula Greene
* Arctostaphylos pechoensis (Abrams) Dudley ex Abrams
* Arctostaphylos peninsularis P.V.Wells
* Arctostaphylos pilosula Jeps. & Wiesl.
* Arctostaphylos pringlei Parry
* Arctostaphylos pumila Nutt.
* Arctostaphylos pungens Kunth
* Arctostaphylos purissima P.V.Wells
* Arctostaphylos rainbowensis J.E.Keeley & Massihi
* Arctostaphylos refugioensis Gankin
* Arctostaphylos regismontana Eastw.
* Arctostaphylos × repens (Howell) P.V.Wells
* Arctostaphylos rudis Jeps. & Wiesl.
* Arctostaphylos sensitiva Jeps.
* Arctostaphylos silvicola Jeps. & Wiesl.
* Arctostaphylos stanfordiana Parry
* Arctostaphylos × strigosa Howell
* Arctostaphylos tomentosa (Pursh) Lindl.
* Arctostaphylos uva-ursi (L.) Spreng.
* Arctostaphylos virgata Eastw.
* Arctostaphylos viridissima (Eastw.) McMinn
* Arctostaphylos viscida Parry
* Arctostaphylos wellsii W.Knight

### Ranges

* Subgenus Micrococcus
** Sect. Micrococcus
| Species | Common name | Range |
| mendocinoensis | Pygmy manzanita | |
| myrtifolia | Ione manzanita | California (Amador, Calaveras Counties) |
| nissenana | Nissenan manzanita | California (coastal and inland ranges north of San Francisco Bay) |
| nummularia | Glossyleaf manzanita | California (Mendocino County) |
* Subgenus Arctostaphylos, which has three sections:
** Sect. Arctostaphylos
| Species | Common name | Range |
| alpina | Alpine bearberry | |
| bakeri | Baker's manzanita | California (Sonoma County) |
| densiflora | Sonoma manzanita | California (Sonoma County) |
| edmundsii | Little Sur manzanita | California (Monterey County) |
| franciscana | Franciscan manzanita | California (San Francisco County) |
| gabrielensis | San Gabriel manzanita | California (Los Angeles County) |
| glauca | Bigberry manzanita | California and Baja California |
| hispidula | Gasquet manzanita | Coastal mountain ranges of southern Oregon and northern California |
| hookeri | Hooker's manzanita | California |
| insularis | Island manzanita | California (Santa Cruz Island) |
| klamathensis | Klamath manzanita | California (Klamath Mountains) |
| manzanita | Common manzanita, whiteleaf manzanita | California (Coast Ranges and Sierra Nevada foothills) |
| mewukka | Indian manzanita | California (Sierra Nevada) |
| nevadensis | Pinemat manzanita | California |
| parryana | Parry manzanita | California (southern) |
| patula | Greenleaf manzanita | Western North America |
| pumila | Sandmat manzanita | California (Monterey County) |
| pungens | Pointleaf manzanita | Southwestern United States and to northern and central Mexico |
| rudis | Shagbark manzanita | California (southern central coast) |
| stanfordiana | Stanford's manzanita | California (Outer North Coast Ranges north of the San Francisco Bay Area) |
| uva-ursi | Bearberry | Europe, Asia, North America |
| viscida | Sticky manzanita, whiteleaf manzanita | California and Oregon |
** Sect. Foliobracteata
| Species | Common name | Range |
| andersonii | Santa Cruz manzanita | Santa Cruz mountains (CA) |
| auriculata | Mount Diablo manzanita | Mount Diablo (CA) |
| canescens | Hoary manzanita | Coastal ranges of SW OR and N CA |
| catalinae | Santa Catalina Island manzanita | Santa Catalina Island (CA) |
| columbiana | Hairy manzanita | West coast from N. CA to S. BC |
| confertiflora | Santa Rosa Island manzanita | Santa Rosa Island (CA) |
| cruzensis | La Cruz manzanita | Monterey and San Luis Obispo counties (CA) |
| glandulosa | Eastwood manzanita | Coastal slops from OR, CA, Baja California |
| glutinosa | Schreiber's manzanita | Santa Cruz County (CA) |
| hooveri | Hoover's manzanita | Santa Lucia Mountains (CA) |
| imbricata | San Bruno Mountain manzanita | San Bruno Mountain (CA) |
| luciana | Santa Lucia manzanita | southern Santa Lucia Mountains (CA) |
| malloryi | Mallory's manzanita | Inner North Coast Ranges west and northwest of the Sacramento Valley (CA) |
| montaraensis | Montara manzanita | San Bruno Mountain and Montara Mountain (CA) |
| montereyensis | Monterey manzanita | Monterey County (CA) |
| morroensis | Morro manzanita | Morro Bay (CA) |
| nortensis | Del Norte manzanita | Del Norte County (CA), Curry County (OR), Josephine County (OR) |
| obispoensis | Serpentine manzanita | Southern Santa Lucia Mountains (CA) |
| osoensis | Oso manzanita | Los Osos Valley (San Luis Obispo, CA) |
| otayensis | Otay manzanita | San Diego County (CA) |
| pajaroensis | Pajaro manzanita | Monterey County, Santa Cruz County, San Benito County (CA) |
| pallida | Pallid manzanita | |
| pechoensis | Pecho manzanita | |
| pilosula | La Panzo manzanita | |
| purissima | La Purissima manzanita | |
| refugioensis | Refugio manzanita | |
| regismontana | Kings Mountain manzanita | |
| silvicola | Bonny Doon manzanita | |
| tomentosa | Woolyleaf manzanita | |
| virgata | Bolinas manzanita | |
| viridissima | Whitehair manzanita | |
| wellsii | Wells' manzanita | |
** Sect. Pictobracteata
| Species | Common name | Range |
| pringlei | Pringle manzanita | |
* Unassigned
| Species | Common name |
| rainbowensis | Rainbow manzanita |
| gabilanensis | Gabilan manzanita |
| ohloneana | Ohlone manzanita |
See also the closely related genus Comarostaphylis, previously often included in Arctostaphylos.