Pointleaf Manzanita, Arctostaphylos pungens

About Pointleaf Manzanita (Arctostaphylos pungens) 10 Nurseries Carry This Plant

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Arctostaphylos pungens is a species of manzanita known by the common name pointleaf manzanita. It is native to the southwestern United States and northern to central Mexico, where it grows in chaparral and woodland, and on desert ridges. This is an erect, spreading shrub growing to heights between one and three meters. It has smooth red bark. Its smaller twigs and new leaves are lightly woolly. Mature leaves are leathery, shiny and green, oval to widely lance-shaped, and up to 4 centimeters long. The flower cluster is a spherical cluster of urn-shaped manzanita flowers. The fruit is a drupe 5 to 8 millimeters wide. It is a food source for many kinds of wildlife, and it is harvested by people and made into jam in many parts of Mexico. This shrub thrives in dry, shallow, acidic soils heavy with gravel and sand, and forms relationships with mycorrhizae to obtain extra nutrients and water. The seeds require scarification by wildfire before they can germinate.

Plant Description

Plant Type

Shrub

Size

3.3 - 12 ft tall

Form

Upright

Growth Rate

Slow

Dormancy

Evergreen

Flower Color

White, Pink

Flowering Season

Winter, Spring

Wildlife Supported

Butterflies & moths hosted ( 3 confirmed

, 50 likely * ) SHOW ALL

Elegant Sphinx Moth Sphinx perelegansSphinx perelegans

Aseptis fumeolaAseptis fumeola

Aseptis ethnicaAseptis ethnica

The Brown Elfin Callophrys augustinusCallophrys augustinus

Ceanothus Silkmoth Hyalophora euryalusHyalophora euryalus

Elegant Sheepmoth Hemileuca eglanterinaHemileuca eglanterina

Mendocino Silk Moth Saturnia mendocinoSaturnia mendocino

Landscaping Information

Sun

Full Sun, Part Shade

Moisture

Very Low

Nurseries

Carried by 10

Ease of Care

Moderately Easy

Soil Drainage

Fast

Soil Description

Prefers sandy or loamy soils. Does not grow well in clay soils.

Common uses

Hedges, Bird Gardens, Hummingbird Gardens, Bee Gardens

Sunset Zones?

2, 3, 7*, 9, 10, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18*, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23

Natural Setting

Site Type

Rocky slopes, ridges,

Climate

Annual Precipitation: 4.6" - 113.6", Summer Precipitation: 0.17" - 3.34", Coldest Month: 28.4" - 54.6", Hottest Month: 51.3" - 79.4", Humidity: 0.74" - 34.22", Elevation: 36" - 9398"

Alternative Names

Common Names: Mexican Manzanita, Point-leaf Manzanita

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Sources include: Wikipedia. All text shown in the "About" section of these pages is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Plant observation data provided by the participants of the California Consortia of Herbaria, Sunset information provided by Jepson Flora Project. Propogation from seed information provided by the Santa Barbara Botanical Garden from "Seed Propagation of Native California Plants" by Dara E. Emery. Sources of plant photos include CalPhotos, Wikimedia Commons, and independent plant photographers who have agreed to share their images with Calscape. Other general sources of information include Calflora, CNPS Manual of Vegetation Online, Jepson Flora Project, Las Pilitas, Theodore Payne, Tree of Life, The Xerces Society, and information provided by CNPS volunteer editors, with special thanks to Don Rideout. Climate data used in creation of plant range maps is from PRISM Climate Group, Oregon State University, using 30 year (1981-2010) annual "normals" at an 800 meter spatial resolution.

Links: Jepson eFlora Taxon Page CalPhotos Wikipedia Calflora

Pointleaf Manzanita

Arctostaphylos pungens

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Pointleaf ManzanitaArctostaphylos pungens

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Pointleaf Manzanita

Arctostaphylos pungens