Arctostaphylos manzanita
Common name: 
Parry Manzanita
Common Manzanita
Pronunciation: 
ark-tow-STAF-i-los man-za-NEET-a
Family: 
Ericaceae
Type: 
Broadleaf
Native to (or naturalized in) Oregon: 
No
  • Broadleaf evergreen shrub or small tree, 6.5-25+ ft (2-8+ m) tall, crooked branching habit, may form dense thickets; does not form a burl.  Stems purplish-red, smooth to finely pubescent.  Leaves alternate, simple, erect, 2-–5 cm long and 1–-3.5 cm wide, generally broadly ovate, base rounded to wedge-shaped, tip mucronate (short abrupt point), margin entire, both surfaces similar, bright green, shiny, glabrous, smooth, petiole 6-–12 mm long.  Flowers small, urn-shaped, white to pinkish, in dense, pendulous clusters to 3 cm, at ends of branches.  Fruit a flattened sphere, 8-12 mm wide, glabrous to hairy, white then red-brown.
  • Sun or part shade.  Some consider it the best all-around manzanita.
  • Hardy to USDA Zone 8    Native to California, North Coast Range, foothills of the Cascades and Sierra Nevada mountains, and San Francisco Bay Area.
    • ‘Dr. Hurd’  -  a tree-like form, 12-15 ft (~3.5-4.5 m) tall, similar width, open, up swept stems, mahogany bark, large leaves, white flowers.
    • ‘St. Helena’  -  stout, widely spreading trunks, bright cinnamon bark, gray green leaves, white flowers.
Click image to enlarge
  • plant habit

    plant habit

  • plant habit

    plant habit

  • shoot, leaves and developing flower cluster

    shoot, leaves and developing flower cluster

  • leaf

    leaf