The manzanita became my favorite plant of the high desert upon my first encounter with it shortly after I moved to Arizona. The gnarled limbs and smooth, bronze-red bark of the manzanita make it a standout for a newcomer to the Southwest. When it is blooming, as it has been for the past several weeks, the delicious fragrance of the blossoms wafts on the winds even at lower elevations.

Arctostaphylos manzanita, common manzanita, is an evergreen shrub which belongs to the HEATH family. The plant flowers in the spring with dense clusters of urn-shaped blossoms ranging from white to pale pink to deep pink. The fruits which appear in the fall are red-brown berries, and it is from this tiny berry that the name seems to derive. Manzana means-apple in Spanish; manzanita, the diminutive form, means little apple.

Common manzanita is a chaparral plant which grows at elevations from 3,000 to 8,000 feet. It is a valuable food for wildlife, and there is much evidence in the Huachuca Mountains of the fondness the javelina has for it.

Since manzanita is a very hard wood, there are other uses for it. It is particularly suited for bird perches and "bird gyms" because large birds and parakeets cannot easily destroy the wood with their beaks. As a firewood it burns very hot, and some say it creates a blue flame, although I could not find anyone to actually verify this. The fruit is sometimes used for jelly.

Arcostaphylos uva-ursi, also called bearberry, hag cranberry, or kinnikinnick, is a trailing evergreen species with a colorful berry. The leaves have been used for a dye and as a medicinal astringent Native Americans used the leaves for tobacco and the berries for food.

The manzanita is not a protected plant, but to remove it for transplanting to the landscape, one must have the permission of the landowner. Some people think it is difficult to transplant. So, if you prefer, it is available in local nurseries. For those who might like to geminate seeds, success could be erratic. The seeds need scarification (in nature wildlife and fires aid this process). Collect the seeds and store in airtight containers in a cool place. The following year stratify (keep at 40? for three months) and sow.