Grows best in sandy, coarse-grained or other fast draining soil… yes!
Prefers sun in coastal sites, and sun or part shade in inland sites… yes!
Selected for the garden by Nevin Smith from Mount St. Helena in Napa Co… bloom Manzanita… over fuchsias, goldenrods, and milkweed!
Arctostaphylos manzanita ‘St. Helena’
Rapid growth to 10′ x 10′ in 8 years. Broad, rounded sage gray-green foliage is held perpendicular to the cinnamon red stems to avoid moisture loss (no flat leaves baking in the sun). In winter to early spring, clusters of white flowers are effective and visited heavily by pollinators. Russet red berries follow but do not last long because of animal predation. Open habit with time that exposes the muscular, smooth mahogany trunks. (Its thought the bark exfoliates to deter moss and lichen growth). This is a very hardy drought adapted west coast native shrub to small tree for average, well drained soils and NO summer irrigation.