big-berried manzanita
Arctostaphylos glauca

Family: Ericaceae.

Type: Evergreen shrub to small tree.

Branching: Alternate.

Leaves: Leaves are generally light on both sides, but a lot of variation exists in this trait. Leaves are often held vertically, not flat, to control incident sunlight. Leaf tips are often pointed, but can be rounded off; teeth are occasionally seen in young leaves (as in many species), but are not typical. Chemicals in the leaves of the big-berried manzanita are believed to inhibit the growth of other plants nearby.

Twig: The bark, like other members of the Ericaceae, is a beautiful smooth red, peeling towards the base.

Fruit & Flower: The fruit is a purple-red berry, larger than that of other manzanitas which is quite sticky and resinous.

Miscellaneous: Big-berried manzanita is an obligate seeder (it reproduces from seeds that germinate after fire), so it does not have a burl the way some other manzanitas do.