Arctostaphylos

                                                

               

            Physical Characteristics

               The manzanita tree has red branches. It has green leafs and it has little white flowers. It also has berries that grow in the spring. Then the berries grow bigger and turn red.

             

      

              Habitat             

                  The manzanita tree grows in Southern British Columbia, Washington, Oregon, California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas,  in the United States,  but it is also throughout Mexico.

             

    

        Edibility        

                        Manzanitas bloom in the winter to early spring and carry berries in spring and summer. The berries and flowers of most species are edible.

                 

            Medical Uses      

                         Native Americans made tisane out of manzanita leafs to treat poison oak rash. The leaves contain chemicals with a mildly disinfectant quality and can be used for mild urinary trast infections. 

 

   

                            Other uses                           

                   Manzanita trees are used to make landscapes. During world war 2, manzanita root burls were used as an expedient native materials to make smoking pipes due to its relation and similar fire resistant properties to then unavailable important briar.  Labeled as ¨Mission Briar¨, it was harvested for the reminder of  war, stopping soon after when supplies ran down, but of important briar once again became avaliable.

 

                                      

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