Manzanita branches come from manzanita trees which are small and resemble a large shrub more than a tree in many ways. It grows in the mountains and inland valleys along the west coast of North America. Many of the areas where it grow are arid or semi arid. These trees and shrubs can survive and thrive in areas that are too hot and dry for most other trees.
Manzanita is slow growing and in some areas it is considered threatened and is protected, making it illegal to harvest branches. But it also grows mixed in with other trees in some areas that are wet enough to support dense forests of large trees. In these areas manzanita is very abundant and harvesting manzanita branches is not only welcome, it also can help the health of the forests.
Manzanita produces a lot of seeds which can remain dormant on the ground for decades. After a wildfire or soil disturbance the seeds can sprout prolifically and grow into stands so thick you can’t walk through them. It isn’t until they get mature and the lower branches start to die that you can actually crawl through them on your hands and knees.
The areas where manzanita mixes with forest trees where the water available to the trees is limited. Also in these areas wildfires are a common threat. Manzanita, being more of a low growing brush, is less desired than the bigger trees like fir, pine and oak. As as it grows in overcrowded stands it competes with the bigger trees for water. This slows the growth of the bigger trees and makes them more vulnerable to insect attack and disease. These thick stands of manzanita also create a fire hazard.
Forests of large trees are considered more healthy for wildlife and the environment than dense manzanita brush fields. The bigger trees are also better at sequestering carbon from the atmosphere. In order to keep the forests healthy and more fire resistant, the manzanita in these types of areas is thinned. The excess is removed and can be used for making manzanita products.
Using manzanita products from areas where manzanita is threatened should be discouraged. However, there are many areas where manzanita is over abundant. In these areas, manzanita is very renewable and sustainable. Buying manzanita from these areas that come from forest thinning projects in not only ecologically sound, it also helps to restore, protect and create healthy diverse forests.