Taxonomy

Division:

Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants

Family:

Ericaceae

Genus:

Arctostaphylos

Species:

Arctostaphylos franciscana

Growth Characteristics

Growth Habit:

Shrub , Shrub

Height:

60 cm

Drought Tolerance:

Medium

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:

bees, hummingbirds, birds

Deer Resistant:

Yes

Salt Tolerant:

Yes

Fire Ecology:

Fire adapted — tolerates or benefits from fire

Fire Notes:

Resprouts vigorously from basal burls after fire. Adapted to coastal scrub fire regime with burls providing post-fire recovery.

Propagation & Germination

Stratification:

Cold/moist stratification required — 60–90 days

Scarification:

Seed coat scarification required before sowing

Germination Time:

30–90 days

Notes:

Seeds have thick, impermeable seed coats requiring scarification. Cold stratification improves germination rates significantly.

The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI