One of the most valuable ground cover manzanitas for our climates from a species that has produced a multitude of great selections. Wayside Manzanita has been grown for years and is incredibly tough and easy to grow. At the North Willamette Research station’s manzanita trial this cultivar performed better than nearly any other ground cover manzanita. Grows to 18-24 inches tall by around 6 feet wide.
This lovely ground cover is actually a hybrid between the San Bruno Mountain Manzanita (A. imbricata) and kinnikinnick (A. uva-ursi) and forms an excellent dense, evergreen mat that grows about a foot tall and spreads 4-6 feet wide. Stems are hairy and leaves are quite large for a low growing manzanita. A fantastic ground cover for dry areas, but can also handle a good bit of summer water thanks to its uva-ursi blood.
A very diverse species of manzanita with a dizzying number of subspecies and confusing hybrids sprinkled up and down the West Coast. Leaves on this clone are a very nice grey-blue and the plants should reach about 6 feet tall and as wide. Prefers a very sunny site with well draining soil and little to no summer water after being established.
A fantastic, low growing ground cover manzanita, Carmel Sur manzanita grows to only 3-6 inches tall and spreads to form a large evergreen carpet. Very garden tolerant for a manzanita but withstands summer watering far better than most varieties.
One of the very best manzanitas for gardens, Austin Griffiths is a large grower, reaching up to 10 feet and about 6 feet wide. Grows very quickly when young and can tolerate more summer water than most manzanitas, though a well-draining soil on a slope is still recommended and zero irrigation after the first year will prolong its life.
A rare endemic manzanita from one of the epicenters of manzanita diversity in San Luis Obispo County, only occurring in a few places in the wild, typically in very sandy places. Morro Manzanita has strikingly grey or silvery foliage, beautiful contorting branches and handsome shredding bark.
Emerald Carpet was introduced by Santa Ana Botanical Garden as a functional and beautiful low maintenance groundcover. It is a hybrid of two manzanita species, Arctostaphylos nummularia and the not as drought tolerant Arctostaphylos uva-ursi.
A wonderful and easy manzanita for the Northwest, Sentinel is tolerant of both garden conditions and dry rocky soil, and is incredibly hardy and disease resistant! Fast growing to about 7′ tall by 5′ wide, the leaves are held perpendicular to the stems to reduce moisture loss but it also gives this shrub a fantastic texture! Bark is exfoliating and gorgeous, becoming deep mahogany red in time.
A fantastic and easy manzanita that has stood the test of time! Monica Manzanita is a big one, growing to about 10′ tall and nearly as wide at a quick pace.
John Dourley Manzanita is one of the best Arctostaphylos groundcovers! The new growth is shockingly red before settling to a gorgeous grey/blue with red lining the edges of the leaves.
