alongside Scrub Oak Quercus, Ceanothus, Chemise Adenostoma and Sugarbush or Lemonade berry, Rhus ovata or Rhus integrifolia, respectively. Many Manzanita, especially those that live in chaparral ecosystems have an additional tissue storage called a burl. Burls are common amongst chaparral plants that deal with wild fire as a regular occurrence. The burl is located between the root crown and the above ground portion of the plant. It holds vital extra storage for the draught stricken leaner times, provides protection to the root system when a wildfire burns through and holds extra energy to commence the regrowth. Due to fire suppression being the primary way of dealing with fire in California’s chaparral ecosystems, the amount of fire fodder in the form of dry invasive grasses creates wildfires that burn much hotter than traditional wildfires from before the 20th century. These hotter wildfires can burn right through the burl of the plant and kill it. When our chaparral ecosystem plants don’t grow, the invasive plants move in and can shift the flora and fauna that visit the area. However, Manzanita is a hardy chaparral ecosystem dominant plant, meaning it exemplifies the chaparral. It won’t be long until these plants dig their roots in past the weedy Mustard and Erodium to take their residence in their neighborhood once again. Manzanita has a relationship with fire and will focus its energy on branches filled with leaves and let other branches dry up. This is courting fire by providing dry branches to burn. Manzanita wants this because many of its seeds require some scarification to germinate. Fire suppression contributes to the reduction of native plants and encourages invasive plants to move into the area, which then creates hotter fires that many chaparralian burls can’t survive through. This is the situation we find ourselves in today after decades of fire suppression and many more homes being built in chaparral environments due to population density.
One of my favorite aspects of botany is called plant intelligence, the way plants evolve to better their chances of species survival. Both Uva ursi and Manzanita have different actions to aid their survival. Since Uva-ursi is a prostrate shrub crawling along the earth, animals regularly step on it as they pass through a stand. Uva ursi will slowly move the direction of its branches to avoid being stepped on and help create an animal trail through the stand! While Manzanita in southern California often have glaucous leaves, a pale-grey to blue green coating to reduce absorption of intense summer sun. Many plants and even some animals use glaucous tissue coatings to protect from the sun, but Manzanita does more. It can shift its leaves, ever so slowly, in relationship to the direction of the suns’ rays, so the thin edge is facing the sun, reducing the amount of direct sun on the flat side of the leaf. The leaves actually track the sun across the sky, reducing the amount of direct sun hitting the flat and exposed parts of the leaf and reducing evaporation of vital moisture, especially in dry, desert or high desert environments. Plant intelligence is so cool!