2016 - Robert's adventures in the Northern Sierra Nevada - California

[Maggi Young]

Found this photo on Facebook  of Manzanitas ( Arctostaphylos)  by Sean Hogan ( of Cistus design Nursery in Portlanfd Oregon )
" Manzanita test plot looking good- at the NWES research farm run by Oregon State University about 45 minutes south of Portland"


 Good to see these being trialled in Oregon, isn't it? Might encourage someone to try  them in Europe.

[Robert]

Maggi,

It is unfortunate if the genus Arctostaphylos is seldom used in Europe. The genus has considerable potential. I think that the full potential of the Genus is still under utilized even here in California. In the past many cultivars came about as chance seedlings at places like the Rancho Santa Ana Botanical Garden in Southern California. Perhaps the situation has changed and there are fine new cultivars available, however I admit that I am not aware of any at this time. It seems that Oregon State University may have, or are in the process of introducing new cultivars.

[Hoy]

.......

How does one identify this species from dried remains? 1.) 2 spiketlets per node  2.) 2 awn-like glumes that are fused at the base 3.) lemma 5-veined.

I was very fortunate to find any old lemma as they usually break off above the glumes. The veins are faint at this time of year, however I was able to make them out with a hand lens.

Is it many similar species? To me it looks very characteristical.

[Robert]

Is it many similar species? To me it looks very characteristical.

Trond,

I am very sorry if there was confusion. One species - Medusa Head, Elymus caput-medusae.

It was in reference to the link "Attacking Invasive Cheatgrass at Its Root". Medusa Head was mentioned in this article too. Medusa Head is an invasive species that I do see here in the lower elevations of the Sierra Nevada - mostly in disturbed areas in the foothills.

My brother lives in Eastern Washington State. Evidently Cheatgrass, Bromus tectorum, is a problem there. Based on what I see on the eastern side of the Sierra Nevada, this is most likely true. On my outing a few weeks ago to the Ebbetts Pass area, I saw plenty of Cheatgrass near the East Carson River (eastern Sierra habitat). As for Eastern Washington, I have seen some amazing places where the wildflowers are plentiful, however back then I was not looking for Cheatgrass.    From what I have seen, many places in Eastern Washington State seem the ideal habitat for Cheatgrass.

[Hoy]

Robert,

No confusion a just wondered if the grasses had look-alikes or were easy to spot

Here is my local Manzanita, Arctostaphylos uva-ursi.

Some plants get a little fall colouring:




The bark is nice also but the stems are thin:

[Robert]

Robert,

No confusion a just wondered if the grasses had look-alikes or were easy to spot

Trond,

During the autumn Elymus caput-medusae is easy to spot by the shape of the dried inflorescence. In the spring it might be confused with various Hordeum species in our area. Elymus caput-medusae generally has 2 spikelets per node, while Hordeum has 3. Both Elymus caput-medusae and Hordeum have long awns, perhaps making the two look very similar, however there are other major differences between the two when looked at closely. During the summer the central axis of most Hordeum species (at least in our area) falls apart so one is lucky to find any remains.

Your Acrtostaphylos uva-ursi looks a little bit different from ours here on the west coast of the U.S.A. Climatic differences? 

Many years ago I remember gathering samples of this species in south central Oregon near the Williamson River. This site is east of the Cascade Range crest but still at a fairly high altitude. Here they grew under Ponderosa Pine as a mat in a very sandy volcanic based soil. The stems were relatively small but still had the very prominent and distinctive chestnut bark common with mazanita. I have also seen this species on the Oregon coast in almost pure sand. The species seems to grow throughout the northern hemisphere.

Arctostaphylos alpia is your other species. Any others by any chance? Not likely I am sure but had to ask anyway.

For anyone who likes to fish..... the Williamson River is full of trophy sized trout. 

Thank you for sharing the photographs.     

[Hoy]

I almost forgot A. alpina as it is deciduous   And that's all.




A.uva-ursi usually grows on sand or sandy soil (glacial sediments). It vary, but not much, depending on climate.

[Hoy]

Found this photo on Facebook  of Manzanitas ( Arctostaphylos)  by Sean Hogan ( of Cistus design Nursery in Portlanfd Oregon )
" Manzanita test plot looking good- at the NWES research farm run by Oregon State University about 45 minutes south of Portland"

 Good to see these being trialled in Oregon, isn't it? Might encourage someone to try  them in Europe.

Maggi, you will probably get them in Scotland years before we get them in Norway!

[Robert]

Trond,

Of the 60 + species (not counting the subspecies) of Arctostaphylos in California, A. alpina does not grow here.    I like the scarlet-red autumn foliage. Do the berries hang on the plant after the leaves drop? I guess the plant could be buried by snow by then. It seems red berries on bare stems could look nice, especially draped over white granite rock.

Despite all the chaos this past spring I was able to save a few Arctostaphylos selections that I made for evaluation in our garden. Some are still very small, a few others have some size. I'll try to get some photographs when they are looking at their best - not that they look poorly now, some were selected for bright red new growth, others for their flowers, others for the color of their foliage throughout the seasons. Right now they are still in containers, but even in containers they will bloom and can look good.

[Hoy]

Trond,

Of the 60 + species (not counting the subspecies) of Arctostaphylos in California, A. alpina does not grow here.    I like the scarlet-red autumn foliage. Do the berries hang on the plant after the leaves drop? I guess the plant could be buried by snow by then. It seems red berries on bare stems could look nice, especially draped over white granite rock.

Despite all the chaos this past spring I was able to save a few Arctostaphylos selections that I made for evaluation in our garden. Some are still very small, a few others have some size. I'll try to get some photographs when they are looking at their best - not that they look poorly now, some were selected for bright red new growth, others for their flowers, others for the color of their foliage throughout the seasons. Right now they are still in containers, but even in containers they will bloom and can look good.

You should have some to select among with 60+ species!

The berries of A. alpina are red when unripe and then turn black (you can spot one in the middle of the picture). They loosen from the plant when ripe but stay there if they are not eaten. The taste is not bad but I don't think anybody gather it. The leaves don't fall though.

Looking forward to see your collection!

[Robert]

Trond,

California Native Americans gathered Manzanita berries as food. I have tried them myself. Most of the time they are mealy and do not taste very good, however occasionally one will be okay with a hint of sweetness. Birds not not seem to like them much either.

Arctostaphylos alpina is evergreen - I guess something like Nandina domestica - the foliage turns red in the autumn, might persist for more than a year, and may or may not turn green again in warmer weather? Does the range of A. alpina and A. uva-ursi over lap? If so are there natural hybrids?

I am keenly interested in our native Arctostaphylos species and generally check them closely when in the field. In some areas, such as the Peavine Ridge area, there is considerable mixing where up to 3 to 5 species can over lap in one area. In some places distinguishing one "species" from another is impossible. Such mixing creates a situation where interesting new forms may arise.

When my Uncle was alive I had direct access to Mount Tamaipais in Marin County, California. From his house I could walk through the woods up a trail to the old railroad grade toward the summit of Mount Tam. There were a considerable number of Arctostaphylos species to see in this area. The coastal climate is completely different from the inland climate of El Dorado County and the Manzanita species different. I wish I still had access now!

When I get home on Tuesday I will check the Manzanitas and see if anyone looks good at this time. I know of one that is of good size - the others might still be too small. Spring after some growth will be better with the small ones.

[Tim Ingram]

Very interesting to read of Arctostaphylos growing under Ponderosa Pine because we have a large plant of this and I have long been wondering what to plant under it to make a more effective mix than the rather boring one at present. Would be a good place to trial Arctostaphylos if I can source plants.

[Hoy]

Trond,

California Native Americans gathered Manzanita berries as food. I have tried them myself. Most of the time they are mealy and do not taste very good, however occasionally one will be okay with a hint of sweetness. Birds not not seem to like them much either.

Arctostaphylos alpina is evergreen - I guess something like Nandina domestica - the foliage turns red in the autumn, might persist for more than a year, and may or may not turn green again in warmer weather? Does the range of A. alpina and A. uva-ursi over lap? If so are there natural hybrids?

I am keenly interested in our native Arctostaphylos species and generally check them closely when in the field. In some areas, such as the Peavine Ridge area, there is considerable mixing where up to 3 to 5 species can over lap in one area. In some places distinguishing one "species" from another is impossible. Such mixing creates a situation where interesting new forms may arise.

When my Uncle was alive I had direct access to Mount Tamaipais in Marin County, California. From his house I could walk through the woods up a trail to the old railroad grade toward the summit of Mount Tam. There were a considerable number of Arctostaphylos species to see in this area. The coastal climate is completely different from the inland climate of El Dorado County and the Manzanita species different. I wish I still had access now!

When I get home on Tuesday I will check the Manzanitas and see if anyone looks good at this time. I know of one that is of good size - the others might still be too small. Spring after some growth will be better with the small ones.

Robert,

Arctostaphylos alpina is not evergreen. The foliage becomes red  and then brown before it dies but remains on the plant. In that way it slowly builds up soil around the plant as well as a kind of insulation.

I don't know about any interbreeding among alpina and uva-ursi although their distribution overlap a lot, especially in the mountains.

When I see the difference between the coastal and inland climate here I can easily imagine the difference in California!

When you say a Manzanita of  "good size", how big is it?

[Robert]

When you say a Manzanita of  "good size", how big is it?

Trond,

I have limited time and space for plant breeding/selection. When evaluating plants I do everything I can to save space. In the case of Manzanitas, in the ground some plants can get fairly large, say 2 x 2 meters. I do not have time or room for this, so I will evaluate plants in containers.

Some of the Manzanitas I am evaluating are clonal selections from plants I have found on my outings. Others are seedlings. The clonal selections from the field need to retain the characteristics I observed in the field, otherwise they are thrown out. Generally in the case of clonal material, I can grow a plant in a container for a year or two and have a good idea if it is worth taking it to the next step. I have better results testing for dwarf characteristics when the plants are planted in the ground.

Seedlings are handled differently. Most of the time I will transplant many seedlings, spaced evenly, into a large container and cull the plants I do not like as they grow larger. Obviously I am limited as to the characteristics I can select from under this situation, but some good qualities do appear quickly under these conditions.  Also I learn a great deal about the plants and find ways to improve the selection process.

I guess this is the long way around your question, "how large?"  In the case of manzanita 30cm + or - is average size at stage one.

One last addition: We had 88 mm of rain today, 127 mm total over the last 3 days. The temperatures have cooled a bit and the snow level has dropped some, but still very high.

[Hoy]

Robert,

Interesting to hear how you do it! I do not work as systematically as you do! I never have the heart to throw away any plant and plant them out anyway even the inferior ones. Sometimes they reward me and develop better than expected but usually they do not! Not strange I run out of space