PlantPeers
Back to Catalog
No image available
Ericaceae FAMILY

Arbutus arizonica

Arbutus arizonica

Edibility
1/5
Medicinal
2/5

Safety & Hazards

The fruit is said to have narcotic properties[1].

Cultivation Details

HabitEvergreen Tree
GrowthSlow

Arbutus arizonica is a plant of semi-arid regions in southern N. America, where it can be found at elevations up to 2,400 metres. Rainfall is very variable, with a mean annual precipitation ranging from 280 - 500mm[1]. Plants are hardy to about -15°c[2, 3]. The plant is found in the wild on well-drained, gravelly soils, and in sunny sites, growing on a variety of soils formed from resideual or colluvial parent materials[1]. It is said to require a lime-free nutrient-rich well-drained moisture-retentive soil in sun or semi-shade and shelter from cold drying winds, especially when young[3]. Succeeds in dry soils[4]. A slow-growing tree[5]. The tree resprouts from the base if cut back by fire, coppicing etc[1].

Propagation

Seed - best surface sown in a cold frame as soon as it is ripe. Stored seed should be soaked for 5 - 6 days in warm water and then surface sown in a shady position in a greenhouse[6]. Do not allow the compost to become dry. 6 weeks cold stratification helps[7]. The seed usually germinates well in 2 - 3 months at 20°c[7]. Seedlings are prone to damp off[8], they are best transplanted to individual pots as soon as they are large enough to handle and should be kept well ventilated. Grow them on in a greenhouse for their first winter and then plant out in late spring after the last expected frosts[PFAF]. Basal cuttings in late winter[3]. Cuttings of mature wood of the current season's growth, late autumn in a frame. Poor percentage[6]. Layering of young wood - can take 2 years[9, 3]. Cite as: Temperate Plants Database, Ken Fern. temperate.theferns.info. 2026-02-20. <temperate.theferns.info/plant/Arbutus+arizonica>

Pollinators

Bees

References

  1. [1]Fire Effects Information System — http://www.feis-crs.org/feis/ ↩︎An on-line information site with comprehensive information on over 1,100 species of plant. Mainly developed to supply information on the effects of fire on plants and animals, it also contains a wealth of other information on the plants
  2. [2]The Milder Garden. — Taylor. J. · Dent · 1990 ↩︎A good book on plants that you didn't know could be grown outdoors in Britain.
  3. [3]The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. — Huxley. A. · MacMillan Press · 1992 · ISBN 0-333-47494-5 ↩︎Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
  4. [4]Manual of the Trees of N. America. — Sargent. C. S. · Dover Publications Inc. New York. · 1965 · http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/ · ISBN 0-486-20278-X ↩︎Two volumes, a comprehensive listing of N. American trees though a bit out of date now. Good details on habitats, some details on plant uses. Not really for the casual reader. It can be downloaded from the internet.
  5. [5]The Complete Trees of N. America. Field Guide and Natural History. — Elias. T. · Van Nostrand Reinhold Co. · 1980 · ISBN 0442238622 ↩︎A very good concise guide. Gives habitats, good descriptions, maps showing distribution and a few of the uses. It also includes the many shrubs that occasionally reach tree proportions.
  6. [6]Propagation of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers. — Sheat. W. G. · MacMillan and Co · 1948 · ISBN - ↩︎A bit dated but a good book on propagation techniques with specific details for a wide range of plants.
  7. [7]Growing from Seed. Volume 2. — Rice. G. (Editor) · Thompson and Morgan. · 1988 · ISBN - ↩︎Very readable magazine with lots of information on propagation. An interesting article on Ensete ventricosum.
  8. [8]Shrubs. — Phillips. R. & Rix. M. · Pan Books · 1989 · ISBN 0-330-30258-2 ↩︎Excellent photographs and a terse description of 1,900 species and cultivars.
  9. [9]RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 — F. Chittendon. · Oxford University Press · 1951 · ISBN - ↩︎Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaced in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [ 200 ]).
  10. [10]Flora of N. America — http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/fna/ ↩︎An on-line version of the flora with an excellent description of the plant including a brief mention of plant uses.
  11. [PFAF]Plants for a Future — pfaf.org ↩︎