Bill > AB581

This bill establishes the bigberry manzanita (Arctostaphylos glauca) as California's official state shrub, highlighting the plant's significant ecological and cultural importance. The bill provides detailed context about the shrub, noting its deep roots in California's landscape, with a range extending from the San Francisco Bay area to northern Baja California. The legislation emphasizes the manzanita's role in the chaparral ecosystem, its watershed protective qualities, and its historical significance, including its use as a food source by Native American communities and the now-extinct California grizzly bear. The bill explains the linguistic origins of the plant's name, with "manzanita" meaning "little apple" in Spanish and "Arctostaphylos" translating to "bear grape" in Greek. By designating the bigberry manzanita as the state shrub, the bill aims to raise awareness about this native plant species and its importance in California's natural heritage, while also drawing attention to the potential threats it faces from increasing fire frequency.

Agriculture and Natural Resources, Government Affairs

https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billStatusClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260AB581