One of the most beautiful and versatile evergreen shrubs for the garden, and my personal favorite, is the genus Arctostaphylos (Manzanitas).

With more than 50 different species found in the wild including many natural hybrids, manzanitas are one of the most abundant native shrubs growing on the coast through the foothills of California. There are also more than 100 cultivated varieties of manzanitas. The common name, Manzanita, is Spanish for “little apple”, and refers to the red berries that follow the flowers, which resemble apples. Manzanitas range in size from spreading groundcovers to shrubs that grow to 15 feet tall or more. Therefore, it is important to know how tall and wide a manzanita will grow before you plant it in your garden. Although, the growth rate of manzanitas is relatively slow and it may take years for the plant to reach its maximum size. 

Manzanitas’ distinctive qualities include their sculptural winding growth habit, maroon-colored bark, which is smooth but starts to peel back in the summer, and lovely, small heart-shaped flowers that range in color from white to pink. Depending on the species, manzanitas start blooming from late fall to early spring. This makes them a star of the winter garden for beauty and wildlife. Manzanita flowers are loved by bees and hummingbirds and the berries are eaten by birds and other animals. The berries can also be used to make manzanita cider (this is on my list to make). 

Examples of manzanitas that are blooming now include:

• Arctostaphylos densiflora ‘Ian Bush’- Ian Bush manzanita

• A. glandulosa- Eastwood’s manzanita

• A. pungens- Pointleaf manzanita

• A. hookeri- Hooker’s manzanita

• A. glauca -Bigberry manzanita

• A. pajarosnsis- Pajaro manzanita

• A. obispoensis- Serpentine manzanita

In the wild, manzanitas come from the chaparral plant community. Chaparral means “a place of scrub oak” and is generally dominated by evergreen shrubs with a “hard” leaf type, adapted for extreme, arid conditions. In addition to scrub oak (Quercus dumosa and Q. berberidifolia), manzanitas grow in chaparral with plants such as Ceanothus (California lilacs) and Heteromeles arbutifolia (Toyon). In the wild, manzanitas also grow in another plant community-the understory of pine forests. Here, they appear with plants such as Ribes (currants and gooseberries), Frangula californica (Coffeeberry) and more Ceanothus. 

Most manzanitas prefer full sun but those adapted to forest understory, or north-facing chaparral slopes will grow in part shade. If native to coastal areas, manzanitas will appreciate some shade if grown in a hotter, interior climate. Manzanitas that come from areas with hardpan (forest understory) will grow in our Bay Area clay soils. Manzanitas that come from chaparral areas grow in gravely soils, so they must have great drainage to thrive in a garden. In addition to adding compost to improve soil structure and drainage, manzanitas can be planted on mounds or slopes to give them the good drainage they need. 

Given the number of manzanita species available from nurseries and special plant sales, it can be daunting to choose one or many manzanitas for your garden. If you like to do some research, Calscape is a useful tool to find manzanitas that will thrive in your local area. Calscape (Calscape.org) is a website developed by the California Native Plant Society. You can search Calscape by zip code to find manzanitas native to your area and nurseries that carry them. You can also hike in local open space areas to see which manzanitas are doing well and would fit the scale of your garden. 

There’s probably room in every California native garden for at least one manzanita!