Taxonomy

Division:

Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants

Family:

Ericaceae

Genus:

Arctostaphylos

Species:

Arctostaphylos purissima subsp. purissima

Growth Characteristics

Growth Habit:

Tree , Shrub

Height:

120 cm

Drought Tolerance:

High

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:

bees, butterflies, birds

Deer Resistant:

Yes

Fire Ecology:

Fire adapted — tolerates or benefits from fire

Fire Notes:

Resprouts vigorously from basal burl after fire. Seeds may be stimulated by heat and smoke, though not obligately fire-dependent.

Propagation & Germination

Stratification:

Cold/moist stratification required — 60–90 days

Scarification:

Seed coat scarification required before sowing

Germination Time:

30–120 days

Notes:

Seed coat extremely hard, requires scarification or passage through animal digestive system. Germination erratic and often low percentage.

The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI