Botanical Wonders of the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument.
Manzanitas are most commonly found across the Angeles National Forest on south-facing slopes where they are restricted to various mineral soils (most often granites). A. glandulosa appears in the front range from ~2,000-5,000 feet, A. patula in the higher elevations above ~7,000, A. parryana on the north slopes toward the Mojave from ~5,000-7,500, and A. glauca is common across the range but mostly on the north slopes adjacent to the Mojave from ~4,000-6,000. I never found Arctostaphylos pungens but it is within the range according to various sources.
What follows is a photographic journey through the San Gabriel Mountains to enjoy the spectacular places manzanitas grow.
Arctostaphylos species in Los Angeles County (* denotes county endemic)
- catalinae*
- glandulosa subsp. glandulosa
- glandulosa subsp. cushingiana
- glandulosa subsp. mollis
- glandulosa subsp. gabrielensis
- glauca
- parryana subsp. parryana
- parryana subsp. tumescens
- pungens
- patula
Quality reading & inspiration for many future explorations, thanks! That Mohave slope of the San Gabriels / eastern Transverse ranges is especially interesting. I seem to recall Pinus sabiniana at its southernmost extent there? Perhaps mixing with A. glauca & P. macrocarpa (& maybe even pinyon/juniper?)
Thanks Mike- You sure are keen with your conifer biogeography! I was also fascinated by the Pinus sabiniana at the southern extent of the range. That north slope adjacent to the Mojave is exceptionally botanically interesting — where the California Floristic Province ends and the desert begins.
Interesting to hear about your findings on broader distribution of A. parryana in the San Gabriel Mtns than previously documented. Hope we can get some more field data to better understand its ecological amplitude, as we’ve also found stands of this manzanita in the San Emigdio Mtns.
Julie- I think they are so similar to A. patula that they are overlooked…cool to hear you saw them in the San Emigdios too.