Manzanita
Kimull
‘Iipay Aa name: kimull
Common name: manzanita
Scientific name: Arctostaphylos spp.
Manzanita, or kimull in ‘Iipay Aa, is a shrub that can grow to twenty-six feet tall. The small oval-shaped leaves are hard and leathery; they keep their light green color year-round. The smooth, red branches grow in graceful, twisted shapes. The bark is very thin and peels away in paper-thin flakes as it ages. It produces white, lantern-shaped flowers that bloom in late winter and spring. The blush-red fruit of the manzanita look like tiny apples. As the manzanita drops its seeds, they are stored in the soil and create a seed bank. The seeds can germinate up to forty years later.
Photo courtesy of Stan Shebs.
Insect and bird pollinators are attracted to the flowers that bloom in the winter and spring. Many bird species and mammals such as American black bears, foxes, and coyotes eat the fruit that ripens in the summer and fall.
Kumeyaay People eat the flowers and fresh fruits. The fruit is used to make a drink. They can also dry and save the fruit to be eaten later. The leaves and fruit can also be boiled and made into a tea, which is used for medicinal purposes.