Manzanita

Common Names: Manzanita, Bearberry

Botanical names: Arctostaphylos spp.

Availability: Fresh product, spring and summer. Dried branches, year round.

Vase life: Two to three weeks

Storage temperatures: 36 - 38 degrees Fahrenheit

Ethylene Sensitive: No

Description: Manzanita are coveted for their twisted, gnarled branches. The bark is smooth, and reddish-brown. The leaves are small, leathery, and elliptical or lanceolate in shape, with smooth edges.

Color: Glossy dark green.

Botanical facts: Manzanita plants produce small, urn-shaped flowers that are typically white or pale pink. After flowering, Manzanita plants produce small, berry-like fruits that are usually red or orange in color. These fruits are edible and are an important food source for birds and other wildlife.

Design notes: The colorful, twisted, and gnarled branches of the Manzanita make them very popular in floral design. They are a wonderful addition to landscape styled arrangements adding interest and beautiful line. They are often used as centerpieces at wedding receptions and other events, often adding hanging votive candles, beaded gems, and small flowers.

Purchasing hints: Fresh, purchase undamaged stems with turgid glossy foliage. Avoid stems exhibiting leaf fall. Dried, purchase undamaged and unbroken stems

Conditioning: Fresh, Give the woody stem end a fresh break or cut with as sharp knife or saw. Hydrate in water mixed with a commercial floral food for two hours before storage or usage.

Additional notes: The word manzanita is the Spanish diminutive of manzana meaning "little apple".