Hello! I was admiring the images you posted for Arctostaphylos manzanita. I live in northern california (nicasio-pt. reyes area) and I was wondering how the manzanita does with wind? I just bought a 2 ft. manzanita from the mendocino botanical gardens and just wanted to make sure I put in the right spot. What do you reccomend? Thanks. Maricela
I don't live in that area but when I was in CA some of the best looking Manzanitas I saw were right above the shore where they got constant wind. It made me very jealous and I wish I could grow them but they must have very well drained soil that I don't have. I went to the Mendocino Botanical Gardens once and found it very interesting, particularly the Tea Trees, Leptospermum.
One in Seattle (click on top left image). http://www.angelfire.com/bc/eucalyptus/iansplants/gallery/40/
Re: Dead Arctostaphylos manzanita Michael--that big old manzanita has been dead since the cold snap of Jan/04. I guess I'm assuming it was the cold, and not wet/fungus that did it in but that was the timing of it's demise. I understand it's on the northern edge of it's hardiness zone up here. The old trunk still looks cool in the alpine garden, and I think I saw another specimen planted nearby perhaps as a bit of a replacement. Glen
Look at the Seattle photo for a big 'ol manzanita. Vashon Botanical Garden, west of Seattle has one as well. This particular species grows about 20' high. Local nurseries have had smaller, possibly hybrid cultivar 'Dr Hurd' recently. For detailed history and description see http://www.stanford.edu/~rawlings/PDF/003.pdf 'Dr. Hurd' is on pp. 11-12.
Just saw another one in a Seattle garden, over my head in height. Common manzanita seems to be more tractable here than others.
Hi, I'm growing/did grow that big A. manzanita in the alpine garden here at UBCBG. Its interesting that someone mentioned wind, as it used to be much more symmetrical. During a wind storm a few years ago the south half (main stem) broke off near ground level. Having said that, the plant was already very old, the inner part of that stem had been dead for some time. After that, it went slowly downhill. Because it always bloomed heavily and fruited well, I had it propagated by cuttings and there are now two sturdy replacements nearby. So probably what did it in was a combination of wind, cold and wet being too much in old age. There is quite excellent drainage where it was living.
How old was it? An Arctostophylos columbiana 15' across growing on the edge of the cliffs above Granite Falls, Snohomish Co., WA was vandalized some years ago, about half its main branches being cut out of the center. I counted 60 rings in one of the stumps.
