Taxonomy

Division:

Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants

Family:

Ericaceae

Genus:

Arctostaphylos

Species:

Arctostaphylos crustacea subsp. tomentosiformis

Growth Characteristics

Growth Habit:

Shrub

Height:

200 cm

Drought Tolerance:

High

Bloom Months:

feb,mar,apr

Bloom Colors:

white, pink

Ground Cover:

Yes

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, butterflies, small mammals

Deer Resistant:

Yes

Fire Ecology:

Fire adapted — tolerates or benefits from fire

Fire Notes:

Resprouts vigorously from basal burls after fire, typical of California chaparral manzanitas. Adapted to periodic fire regime with 20-50 year return intervals.

Propagation & Germination

Stratification:

Cold/moist stratification required — 60–90 days

Scarification:

Seed coat scarification required before sowing

Germination Time:

30–120 days

Notes:

Seed germination is slow and erratic even with proper stratification and scarification. Vegetative propagation via cuttings is often more successful.

The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI