What’s Blooming Now?
February-March
Manzanita
Arctostaphylos (many species and cultivars)

Manzanita is the common name of Arctostaphylos, a genus of shrubs known for their twisting limbs with red-to-mahogany colored bark, evergreen leaves, and small urn-shaped flowers that vary in color from pink to white. There are nearly a hundred different kinds of manzanita species, cultivars and hybrids. They are generally long-lived, drought-tolerant, flower abundantly in late winter, and feed bees, hummingbirds, and some butterflies. At this time of year, you can see flowering manzanitas throughout town in the form of groundcovers, hedges, specimen plants, and tall shrubs. Their small fruits (manzanita = little apple) ripen to dark red and are eaten by birds and wildlife.
One especially significant example for Portola Valley is Dr. Hurd Manzanita, so named because it was first noted in the yard of Dr. Cuthbert Hurd in Westridge in 1972. Cuttings from plants on the property were propagated and soon became widely available through the nursery trade. Arctostaphylos ‘Dr. Hurd’ likely originated as a natural hybrid of Common Manzanita and Stanford’s Manzanita.

Other manzanitas commonly seen in town are the shrub Arctostaphylos densiflora ‘Howard McMinn’, ground covers such as Arctostaphylos ‘Emerald Carpet’, and mid-height forms such as Arctostaphylos ‘John Dourley’. These and many other species of manzanita are available at nurseries, even nurseries that do not emphasize native plants.

 Although manzanitas can be beautiful and easy to maintain in most Portola Valley properties, they should be situated with care to avoid both fire risk and excess moisture. To avoid fire risk, manzanitas should be planted a safe distance from structures. They are most appropriate for Zone 2 (30 to 100 feet from a structure) or the outer area of Zone 1 (Zone 1 is 5 to 30 feet from a structure). Once established, they do not need irrigation and tend to do best on well-drained soils and slopes.
The most distinctive quality of manzanitas is the sculptural aspect of their branch structure, which becomes increasingly striking as the plants mature. Annual light pruning of dead twigs in late summer not only reduces fire risk but also helps reveal the silhouette of chocolate-colored branches.

Brought to you by the PV Conservation Committee.