Introduction to Valentien Collection

The Artist

The History of the Paintings

The Valentien Watercolor Project

Gallery of Plants

Mexican manzanita, Arctostaphylos pungens, is a woody, evergreen shrub reaching 5 to 7 feet, with sinuous branches that often form thickets. Common in chaparral and dry slopes, it is native throughout much of the southwestern U. S., including southern California and Baja California. With beautiful smooth, reddish-brown bark and bright green leaves, the Mexican manzanita usually flowers between January and March. The small, urn-shaped pink and white flowers are typical of the Ericaceae, or heath family, which includes such familiar plants as blueberries and cranberries. The fruits of the Mexican manzanita are an important food source for birds and mammals of the chaparral. In California we have many species of manzanita, and they tend to hybridize.