Taxonomy

Division:

Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants

Family:

Ericaceae

Genus:

Arctostaphylos

Species:

Arctostaphylos cratericola

Growth Characteristics

Growth Habit:

Subshrub

Height:

200 cm

Drought Tolerance:

Medium

Bloom Months:

feb,mar,apr

Bloom Colors:

white, pink

Evergreen Shrub:

Yes

Landscaping Shrub:

Yes

Keystone Species Ranking

Caterpillar Keystone:

★★★★☆ Butterfly & moth species supported by this genus (NWF)

Pollen Specialist Bee Keystone:

★★☆☆☆ Native pollen specialist bee species supported by this genus (NWF)

Garden & Ecology Notes

Wildlife Value:

birds, bees, small mammals

Deer Resistant:

Yes

Fire Ecology:

Fire adapted — tolerates or benefits from fire

Fire Notes:

Chaparral species capable of resprouting from basal burls after fire. Adapted to periodic burning typical of California shrublands.

Propagation & Germination

Stratification:

Cold/moist stratification required — 60–90 days

Scarification:

Seed coat scarification required before sowing

Germination Time:

30–120 days

Notes:

Hard seed coat requires scarification. Cold stratification improves germination rates. Germination can be slow and erratic.

The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI