Taxonomy

Division:

Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants

Family:

Ericaceae

Genus:

Arctostaphylos

Species:

Arctostaphylos viscida subsp. viscida

Growth Characteristics

Growth Habit:

Tree , Shrub

Height:

400 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:

birds, bees, butterflies, small mammals

Deer Resistant:

Yes

Fire Ecology:

Fire adapted — tolerates or benefits from fire

Fire Notes:

Vigorous crown sprouter after fire. Thrives in post-fire chaparral communities and benefits from periodic burning for regeneration.

Propagation & Germination

Stratification:

Cold/moist stratification required — 60–90 days

Scarification:

Seed coat scarification required before sowing

Germination Time:

30–180 days

Notes:

Seeds have hard seed coats and double dormancy. Scarification plus cold stratification improves germination but can still be slow and erratic.

The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI