A very cool cross of two lovely low growing manzanitas, the commonly seen bearberry, Arctostaphylos uva-ursi, and the very rare San Bruno Mountain manzanita, Arctostaphylos imbricata. This one is easy to grow, tolerating some summer water but still prefers a well draining soil. Cool geometric pattern to the foliage, and it makes an excellent thick mounding ground cover.

Latin Name: Arctostaphylos uva-ursi x imbricata
Site and Soil: Full sun and very well-drained soil.
Pollination Requirements: Self fruitful
Hardiness: Hardy to about 5° F.
Size at Maturity: 2 ft in height and 6′ or so in width
Bloom Time: Late winter
Pests & Diseases: No pests or diseases that we’ve seen on our plants here in Portland
USDA Zone: 7b

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Funky little hybrid manzanita groundcover from the Kalmiopsis Wilderness not far from Babyfoot Creek that we were immediately smitten by. Seems to be an easy one in cultivation so long as you provide well draining soil and minimal summer water after establishment. Super cute round leaves that have a nice blue hue to them. Sometimes you find bigfoot and sometimes you find babyfoot…

Latin Name: Arctostaphylos hybrid (nevadensis x viscida?)
Site and Soil: Well draining unamended soils in full sun
Hardiness: Hardy to about 5 F.
Size at Maturity: ~2′ x 6′, but not sure long term how large it will grow
Bloom Time: Late winter into spring
Pests & Diseases: None that we have observed
USDA Zone: 7b

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A selection of one of our favorite species of manzanita that we selected for its very tight compact growth and excellent texture. The foliage texture on this one looks somewhat like Arctostaphylos auriculata or a compact Hebe when viewed from above with a psychedelic geometry thing going on. New growth is bright red and contrasts beautifully with the light blue foliage. Easy to grow so far and seemingly quite garden tolerant, but give it great drainage as they do grow on sand.

Latin Name: Arctostaphylos pajaroensis ‘Shooting Star’
Site and Soil: Well draining unamended soils in full sun
Hardiness: Hardy to about 5 F.
Size at Maturity: 5′ x 5′, but not sure long term how large it will grow
Bloom Time: Late winter into spring
Pests & Diseases: None that we have observed
USDA Zone: 7b

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Very cool form of Arctostaphylos manzanita! We picked this one up from the wonderful California Flora Nursery on a roadtrip years ago and it has been lighting up the driveway garden at the nursery ever since. Sometimes yellow tipped plants look like they just need a bit of fertilizer, but this one really shines and looks intentional about its yellowy growth tips. Grows at a quick pace but doesn’t get leggy with exuberant growth like some Arcto manzanitas can.

Latin Name: Arctostaphylos manzanita ‘Bates Yellow’
Site and Soil: Well draining unamended soils in full sun
Hardiness: Hardy to about 5 F.
Size at Maturity: 6′ x 4 ‘ so far after 5 years in ground
Bloom Time: Late winter into spring, but sometimes starting in the fall
Pests & Diseases: None that we have observed
USDA Zone: 7b

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One of the best of an already stunning and favorite species of manzanita (Arctostaphylos parajoensis), we first got this plant from Ian Barclay at Desert Northwest Nursery. It likely goes under another name, possibly Brett’s Beauty, but Ian couldn’t remember and so called it Awesome Red for very obvious reasons. It has some of the most vivid red growth of any manzanita, or any plant for that matter, that we’ve ever seen. It contrasts very nicely with the unique dark green and slightly glaucous blue leaf. Very easy to grow if given full sun and well draining soil.

Latin Name: Arctostaphylos pajaroensis ‘Awesome Red’
Site and Soil: Well draining unamended soils in full sun
Hardiness: Hardy to about 5 F.
Size at Maturity: 4’x6′ so far after 5 years in ground
Bloom Time: Late winter into spring
Pests & Diseases: None that we have observed
USDA Zone: 7b

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An excellent species native to the sandy chaparral and oak woodland surrounding Monterey Bay just north of Carmel, this grey leaf form of sandmat manzanita was widely distributed after being planted at the North Willamette Research Station’s manzanita trial and has proven adaptable to garden conditions even outside of sandy soils. Likely tolerant of a bit of summer water since it grows so near the coast, but we typically give it zero irrigation after establishment here in Portland.

Latin Name: Arctostaphylos pumila
Site and Soil: Full sun and very well-drained soil.
Hardiness: Hardy to about 0° F.
Size at Maturity: 3-4 ft in height and about as wide
Bloom Time: Late winter
Pests & Diseases: No pests or diseases that we’ve seen on our plants here in Portland
USDA Zone: 7b

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A widely distributed species from central to southern California, Arctostaphylos glauca is one of our favorites for its stunning whitish blue leaves and pink stems and petioles. Fairly adaptable and easy to grow if given full sun, excellent drainage and minimal summer water after the first couple years. This collection from near the top of Pozo Summit should be easily hardy to 0° F as it gets quite cold up there.

Latin Name: Arctostaphylos glauca
Site and Soil: Full sun and very well-drained soil.
Hardiness: Hardy to about 0° F.
Size at Maturity: 6-8 ft in height and width, smaller with pruning.
Bloom Time: Late winter
Pests & Diseases: No pests or diseases that we’ve seen on our plants here in Portland
USDA Zone: 7b

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Diablo’s Blush is an excellent and rare manzanita that grows only on Mt. Diablo to the east of the Bay Area. New growth emerges a bright pink that contrasts beautifully with the grey foliage and the auriculate foliage provides an amazing texture, especially when viewed from above. Very drought tolerant once established and needing no supplemental watering after its first year or two in the ground.

Latin Name: Arctostaphylos auriculata
Site and Soil: Full sun and very well-drained soil.
Pollination Requirements: Self fruitful
Hardiness: Hardy to about 0-5° F.
Size at Maturity: 5-6 ft in height and width, smaller with pruning.
Bloom Time: Late winter
Pests & Diseases: No pests or diseases that we’ve seen on our plants here in Portland
USDA Zone: 7b

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The most commonly seen manzanita in landscapes, Kinnikinnick is also the most widespread manzanita species on the planet. While almost every Arctostaphylos species is native to the West Coast of North America, with a few species spread into the more interior Southwest, Arctostaphylos uva-ursi is the only one that grows not just along the West Coast but also far into Canada, the Northeastern United States as well as into Asia and Europe. It typically grows at high elevations on rocky outcrops, but in cultivation it is amenable to many different situations. This selection, ‘Massachusetts’, is not the best for hot dry areas, and will perform best with summer water. Extremely cold hardy and even a bit shade tolerant.

Latin Name: Arctostaphylos uva-ursi
Site and Soil: Well draining unamended soils in full to part sun
Hardiness: Hardy to about -40 F.
Size at Maturity: 12″ high by 6′ wide
Bloom Time: Late winter into spring
Pests & Diseases: None that we have observed
USDA Zone: 3

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Black Manzanita is one of the most exciting wild collected figs to come out of California. It was shared with us years ago by Mike Boss who had recently taken over Sonoma Horticultural Nursery and we assumed that this was yet another California seedling that might not produce figs without the wasp, but sure enough it produces loads of large and unique figs up here in Oregon. What is really special about Black Manzanita is how deep black the figs are. The skin is as dark as any fig you’ll find and the pigments in the skin even bleed through to the pith to turn it purple and the flesh is so dark red it turns purple in figs that get enough sunlight on them. An excellent addition to any fig collection, and likely an extremely healthful one given the amount of anthocyanins in the figs. 

A true gourmet delight, you should not live your life without feasting on this sweet, delectable fruit. One of the easiest fruits to grow, figs are happy outdoors in the Maritime Northwest and, with winter protection, in ports or in the ground in colder climates. To fully enjoy fresh Figs you must grow your own. When fully ripe and at their tender best, shipping them long distances is virtually impossible. While many fig varieties are not suitable for the Northwest, our varieties have been chosen for their ability to ripen in our climate. Another plus for Figs – deer don’t like them (most of the time)!

Growing Info:

Latin Name: Ficus carica
Site and Soil: Figs like 1/2 day to full sun and well-drained soil.
Pollination Requirements: Self fig-ful
Hardiness: Hardy to between 0° & 5° F.
Bearing Age: 1-2 years after planting
Size at Maturity: 10-20 ft in height, smaller with pruning.
Taste: concentrated fig berry sweetness
Fruit Skin: Black
Fruit Flesh: Dark red to purple
Bloom Time: Flowers are not noticeable as they are inside the fruit
Ripening Time: late September-October
Yield: 10-15 lbs. or more per plant
Pests & Diseases: Figs are not bothered by pests in our region. Cover plants with netting if birds are a problem.
Fig Mosaic Virus is a benign virus that exists in all cultivated fig trees. Yellow spotting of the leaves is a cosmetic symptom that shows more in container culture, but is quickly outgrown once trees are planted in the ground. The presence of FMV in all cultivated figs has become widely accepted, as even the national germplasm repository for figs maintained by the USDA has Fig Mosaic Virus. If the presence of FMV is a concern, then purchasing fig trees may not be the best option for you.
USDA Zone: 7

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