The Green Leaf Manzanita (Arctostaphylos patula) is one of the most widespread of the Manzanitas, a bush reaching up to about six feet tall and wide native to the western United States and down through Baja California, Mexico.
It is a typical resident of chaparral communities, is important for bees and deer, and withstands much drought and heat.
The Green Leaf Manzanita has hard waxy green leaves, red deciduous bark and clusters of small pink urn-shaped flowers in the late winter through mid-Spring followed by small green (maturing to reddish) fruits that resemble tiny apples (thus the generic name Manzanita).
These little apple-like fruits are edible raw, and can make good beverages (like a lemon aid or cider), jams and can also be dried and ground into a flour.
They have a tart and slightly sweet flavor, and contain seeds that are usually discarded. The fruit and seeds can both be dried and ground into a flour to add to foods.
The red-gnarled bark of the Green Leaf Manzanita is so decorative that it is sometimes harvested for making sculptures, wreaths or furniture. A natural yellow-brown dye can also be made from the leaves.
The Greenleaf Manzanita is also used medicinally, as it contains tannins, which are known to help shrink and dry inflamed tissues, but also notably the arbutin glycosides, which have antiseptic and astringent effects on the urinary tract.
Native Americans have long used the Green Leaf Manzanita, for such uses as a cathartic tea. A poultice of the leaves has also been used for burns and abrasions.
It has also been found in preclinical research to have potential cosmetic uses for the whitening of skin (inhibiting melanin biosynthesis), for inhibition of UV-B rays, and as an antioxidant with SOD (superoxide dismutase)-like activity.
The beautiful pink flowers are used to make a flower essence for helping to recognize the body is vessel for the soul, and healing harmful behaviors and attitudes that affect the physical body.
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**This content is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended to provide medical advice or to take the place of such advice or treatment from a personal physician.
A Tiny Apple A Day…?
