Herb: Greenleaf Manzanita


Latin name: Arctostaphylos patula


Family: Ericaceae (Heath Family)



Medicinal use of Greenleaf Manzanita:

The leaves are astringent. They have been used in the treatment of VD. They are also used as a poultice on burns, cuts etc.

Description of the plant:



Plant:
Evergreen
Shrub

Height:
2 m
(6 1/2 foot)

Flowering:
March
to May

Habitat of the herb:

Open coniferous forests.

Edible parts of Greenleaf Manzanita:

Fruit - raw or cooked. The fully ripe fruit is pleasantly acid with a flavour resembling green apples. It can be dried, ground into a powder then used in making cakes etc. The fruit can also be used for making jelly and cider. The fruit is about 8 - 10mm in diameter. Seed - ground into a powder and added to soups etc. The seed is very small and would be difficult to separate from the fruit. It would be easier to dry the whole fruit, grind this into a powder and use it in soups etc.

Other uses of the herb:

A yellowish-brown dye is obtained from the leaves, it does not require a mordant.

Propagation of Greenleaf Manzanita:

Seed - best sown in a greenhouse as soon as it is ripe. Pre-soak dried seed in boiling water for 10 - 20 seconds or burn some straw on top of them and then stratify at 2 - 5°C for 2 months. The seed usually germinates in 2 - 3 months at 15°C. When large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in a cold frame or greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant out in late spring or early summer. Cuttings of side shoots of the current season's growth, 5 - 8cm with a heel, August to December in a frame. The cuttings are very slow and can take a year to root. This species is very difficult from cuttings. Division in early spring. Take care because the plant resents root disturbance. Pot the divisions up and keep them in a lightly shaded position in a cold frame or greenhouse until they are growing away actively. Layering in spring.

Cultivation of the herb:

Open coniferous forests.

Known hazards of Arctostaphylos patula:

None known

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.