Manzanita brings flowers , evergreen foliage , and twisty . colorful bark to dry out landscapes — and it asks short in replication .
Manzanita(Arctostaphylosspp . ) is a genus of evergreen plant shrubs or trees aboriginal to California , the North Coast Range , and the Sierra Nevada mess . The name " manzanita " comes from Spanish for " little orchard apple tree " , a nod to the lilliputian apple - comparable yield that survey bunch of winter tospring flowers .
There are over 100 species and subspecies of manzanita , most of which prefer Mediterranean - comparable climate with red-hot , dry summer and cool , wet winters . madrona diverge greatly in shape and anatomy — fromlow - growing groundcoversto towering 20 - foot - tall plants . So , if the mood is proper , there is in all likelihood a great cultivar for your landscape painting .
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Manzanitas have a reputation for being difficult to cultivate but the truth is , most nurseryman break due to excessive tending or summer watering . Instead of fussing over your industrial plant , place it thoughtfully and resist the impulse to meddle . If by rights choose and placed , Arbutus menziesii volunteer yr - bout interest in interchange for little more than room to grow .
Where to Plant Manzanita
plant life manzanitas in an area with full sun ( or light-headed , episodic tad ) and well - drain stain . While placement needs vary by miscellanea , well - debilitate soil is a must for all manzanitas . They will not tolerate mucky soil orstanding water .
For that reason , do not come in manzanitas near plants that require regular tearing — especiallythirsty summer perennial . In moister climates ( like the Pacific Northwest ) , industrial plant manzanitas on a berm or mounded hill to preclude water from draining toward the plant . The incline of a shoulder will improve drain and avail forbid root buncombe .
Manzanitas make excellentxeriscape plantsand are big for erosion control onhillsides and incline . They also take up in pollinators — like butterfly stroke , hummingbird , and bees — as well as skirt and other wildlife . As garden accent , manzanitas cooking stove from lustrelessness - forming ground cover to mounding shrub , and small , upright tree diagram . So , regard the space requirement for your particular variety when imbed . The outgrowth rate and fledged sizing of manzanitas are highly variable and strung-out on factors like mood , atmosphere , soil , sunshine exposure , and wildlife .
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How and When to Plant Manzanita
Planting requirements for manzanita vary by case , but most should be planted in the former fall or other wintertime . If you live in a moist clime , like the Pacific Northwest , consider institute your manzanita on a berm or mound to nullify root rot . Once you ’ve chosen a spot , dig a hole twice the width and as mystifying as the plant ’s root ball . If possible , do notamend your ground . Manzanitas flourish in pitiful , infertile soils .
Loosen the skirt stain , put your madrona in the hole , and backfill with the displaced dirt until the jacket of the antecedent is even with or slightly below the soil Earth’s surface . Water thoroughly . If establish more than one manzanita bush , put them 5 to 15 feet apart ( depending on diverseness ) .
Manzanita Care Tips
Do n’t be tempt to coddle your manzanitas . The bush — from low - growing groundcovers to unsloped trees — are divers in their preferred habitats , but almost universally expand on neglect .
Light
Manzanitas preferfull sun , or in inland gay locations , partial subtlety . Most motley benefit from protection from the afternoon sunlight in bouts of extreme heat .
Soil and Water
Manzanitas can thrive in a form of soils — admit mud . However , most favor well - run out , acidic soil(4.0 to 7.0 pH ) with no amendments .
In the first yr after planting , water your Arbutus menziesii profoundly and somewhat when the top few inches of grease are dry . Preferences will differ among species , but weekly or bi - hebdomadary watering is in all probability sufficient . This helps the plant build an extensive root system . Once established , manzanita take no summertime weewee beyond what falls from the sky . wet in combining with heat bring in manzanita vulnerable to fungous organism . Even piss leached from the soil of neighboring plant can be harmful , so be aware of irrigation systems within 10 to 15 feet of your shrub .
Temperature and Humidity
Although predilection vary by type , most manzanitas choose juiceless , spicy summers with temperature between 55˚ and 95˚ Fahrenheit . They enjoy moist , meek winter with temperatures above 15˚. Manzanitas do not care high humidity or waterlogged conditions .
Fertilizer
Manzanitas are adapted to poor , sterile grime and do not require supplemental fertilizer .
Pruning
Many manzanita varieties take no pruning while others benefit from judicious pruning to keep a pleasing anatomy . If you wish to forge your Arbutus menziesii , tip cut back it after it has stop over flowering when the weather is warm , dry , and sunny . When you tip prune , you snip just the steer of each stem turn rather of clipping integral branchlet or branches . Use knifelike , unfertile garden shears to remove just an inch or two , and do not prune while the bush is still bloom . Tip pruning encourages the plant to make side shoot with new flowering bud for a more contained , thick maturation .
If you bid to expose the twisty branches and showy bark of upright varieties , prune away dead stems at the surface of the trunk — but make cuts carefully . The goal is to produce more air circulation and reveal the lower branches , so do n’t prune away more than 25 % at a time . Also , when pruning wood , keep in mind that old wood ( with no leaves ) will not spud . Current outgrowth incision that contain leaves can resprout .
If your manzanita develops aburl — a swollen domed stadium of dormant bud — radically rationalize the shrub back to the burl . This is a regenerative pruning . After clip back to the burl , water your shrub , but be careful not to wet the bruise areas of the wood .
Common Bearberry.Credit: Photo © Sten Porse
Pests and Problems
Aphidscan be an issue for manzanita in some areas , especially on novel growth . Scale , mealybug , rock drill , madrone shield bearers , and leaf - feeding caterpillars like the western tuft moth caterpillar can also cause problems for manzanita .
In overly moist condition , manzanita is prone toroot decomposition , crown rot , leaf spot , rust , and blight .
How to Propagate Manzanita
The easiest elbow room to propagate manzanita is from press cutting . To do so , look for freshly shoot terminal shoots from a woody stem that grew the previous year . This is best done in early spring as last shoots are just begin to come forth . Using asharp , sterile knife or shear , skip a 6 to 8 - inch terminal shoot and douse the slash end inrooting endocrine . Place the dipped close in a damp 1:1 mixture of gumption and peat . Place the cutting in a bright place out of direct sun and keep the substrate evenly moist by fog it regularly . In about 4 to 8 week , after the cutting has taken root , it can be transplanted outside ( ideally in the fall ) .
Manzanita can also be propagated from seed , but the operation is guileful . To circulate from seed , you ’ll need to scar the hard ejaculate coat with asharp knifeand then expose the seeds to fire . This is sometimes done by seed the seed into a admixture of peat moss and George Sand , adding a bed of pine needles , and then put the pine needles on fire . This activeness mimic the wildfires that are a plebeian happening in the shrub ’s aboriginal home ground . After the seeds have been marred and flack - germinated , they can be planted outside . However , they may take as long as 12 months to sprout ( if they are successful at all ) .
Types of Manzanita
Common Manzanita
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vulgar manzanita ( Arctostaphylos Arbutus menziesii ) grow about 10 to 12 feet grandiloquent and wide-cut in zone 8 - 10 . It typically feature misrepresented branch with leathery greenish parting and clusters of ashen and pinkish flowers that hang like lantern from their stems . The flowers give way to white berries that are fuck by birds and other wildlife . Common manzanita grows best in full sun or partial refinement and a full variety of soils .
Bearberry
Bearberry ( Arctostaphylos uva - ursi ) is a low - growing manzanita shrub often used as a garden borderline . It can also be grow as a dense ground cover that blocks locoweed . It offers year - rhythm interest with moody green foliage , pinkish spring bloom , and burnished Burgundy wine - flushed fall Berry ( which are popular with bears ) . The cold - hardy woody bush ( also cognise as kinnikinnick ) grows 6 to 12 inches tall ( in zones 2 - 6 ) and prefers full sun or partial shadowiness . It fares well in sandy , short , infertile , and acidic grease .
Big Sur Manzanita
Big Sur manzanita ( Arctostaphylos edmundsii ) is a low - mature madrono shrub that typically gets 1 to 3 feet marvellous and 4 to 6 feet wide of the mark in zones 8 - 10 . It features dense mounds or patchy mats of glossy green leave of absence and episodic unaccented pink blossom in winter . It enjoys full sun and is drouth - liberal but fare well in coastal climates .
‘Howard McMinn’ Manzanita
Arctostaphylos densiflora’Howard McMinn ' is a good flush producer and has striking carmine stem turn and green leafage . It is one of the most wet - large-minded manzanitas and grows easily in most garden soils — but do n’t overwater it . It grows 2 feet tall and wide in zone 7 - 10 .
‘Monterey Carpet’ Manzanita
Arctostaphylos hookeri’Monterey Carpet ' bring in a smashing plant for coastal sites . This cultivar grow 1 foot marvelous and about 4 feet across-the-board in zone 8 - 10 . It require well - drain soil and little to no watering .
Shagbark Manzanita
Arctostaphylos rudisgrows about 3 feet tall and 6 feet wide and tolerates pruning well . It has wakeful pinkish peak . Grow shagbark hickory manzanita as a downhearted hedge or magniloquent groundcover in coastal area .
Eastwood Manzanita
Eastwood manzanita ( Arctostaphylos glandulosa ) typically grows 3 to 10 understructure grandiloquent and 5 to 8 feet wide in zones 8 - 10 . It features mystifying ruby bark , gray - green leave , pinkish - white springiness flowers , and large reddish - brown berries . Eastwood manzanita favor full sun or fond shade and well - drain soil with a pH of 5.0 to 7.0 . It grows gaga on rocky outcropping , ridge , and slope , so it ’s a great pick for hillscapes and slope where erosion is a concern .
Hooker’s Manzanita
Hooker ’s manzanita ( Arctostaphylos hookeri ) is a low - grow , often mound bush that typically grow approximately 1 foot marvelous and 6 animal foot blanket . There are , however , upright conformation of hooker ’s manzanita that can develop 6 animal foot tall . In early fountain , it offers bell - flesh , white - pink heyday that precede glossy reddened berries . Hooker ’s manzanita is hardy in zones 7 - 9 and fares well in sandy or loamy soil with a pH between 5.0 and 6.0 . It ’s an excellent alternative for boundary planting and rock gardens .
La Cruz Manzanita
La Cruz or Arroyo de la Cruz manzanita ( Arctostaphylos cruzensis ) is a low - maturate mintage that is rare to ascertain in nurseries but is often found growing along the coastline of southerly California . It typically grows 2 to 3 foot grandiloquent and 4 to 5 feet all-inclusive in zones 7 - 10 . La Cruz madrona acquit red bark with promising unripe leaves and urn - shape wan pinkish flowers in late winter or early spring . If you may find it , it makes a arresting addition to coastal garden .
Companion Plants for Manzanita
California Lilac
California lilacs ( Ceanothus ) are deceptively rugged nitrogen - bushel bush and trees . Their tough roots that make them splendid candidates for areas in need of wearing controller . California lilacs are pop with pollinators and feature livid , pink , blue , or purple flowers ( count on variety ) . There are over 50 mintage useable from low - grow groundcovers like Ceanothus ' Centennial ' or dense shrubs ( likeCeanothus thyrsiflorus’Dark Star ' orCeanothus‘Concha ’ . Most California lilacs prefer full sun to partial shade and are hardy in zones 7 - 10 .
Euphorbia
Euphorbiais a gravid genus of plants that hold in one thousand ofannual and recurrent mintage , many of which are suited for landscape that let in manzanita . Nearly all euphorbia speciesare succulentsand they come in a variety of shapes and sizes . Some even boast cacti - like leave and colorful striation of ruby , white , orange , green , and yellowed . Euphorbias are intrepid in zones 5 - 10 and , like manzanitas , prosper on a little neglect .
Ice Plant
Its name may arouse images of a plant growing in the tundra , butice plantis made for hot , dry garden spots with full sun and well - enfeeble soil . It is a popular selection for slope , rock gardens , and the cracks of continue walls . Ice plant feature green , acuate succulent foliage that is covered with purplish - pink or yellow flowers from late springiness to other summer . Ice plant is audacious in zones 5 - 10 and grows just 6 to 12 inch tall and 3 feet encompassing in favorable spots .
Lemonade Berry
Rhus integrifolia(also know aslemonade sumac , lemonade berry , or lemonadeberry ) , is a native of Southern California and extremely drouth - tolerant . The blanket , evergreen shrub is hardy in zones 9 - 10 . Inland , it originate up to 10 feet magniloquent and 10 to 15 feet wide . Near the slide , it may remain under 3 feet improbable . Lemonade Charles Edward Berry shrubs sport lumps of pinkish - white bloom that explicate into reddish - pinkish fruit .
Matilija Poppy
Matilija poppyis a passably perennial aborigine to the American southwestern United States . From early bounce to midsummer , it turn out electrocute ball - like flowers comprised of tissue paper - thin flower petal . Matilija poppy is sturdy in zone 7 - 10 and , like manzanita , is extremely drought - tolerant . It opt well - drained territory with a pH between 5.0 and 8.0 .
Frequently Asked Questions
A manzanita burl is a swollen , bulbous section that forms at the base of some manzanita shrubs . The burl contains dormant buds that can resprout after a fire . The cause of burls are uncertain , but stress , filth condition , and disease are think to be contributing divisor . If one appear on your bush , you may cut it back to the burl and the bush should rapidly resprout .
Manzanitas ( like other plant life native to the California chaparral ) are notably drought - patient of and have adapted to mood where summer rains seldom shine . The rainless summertime season allows manzanita to grow hard , encompassing root systems . Avoid watering during hot summertime month to keep the stem of your manzanita strong and preclude fungal infections .
The medium life-time of manzanita in a garden is 15 to 50 year ( look on species , care , and surround ) . However , some coinage have been experience to populate for hundreds of years .
Credit: Image byStan Shebsvia Creative Commons
Credit: Ed Gohlich
Credit: Denny Schrock
