Arctostaphylos purissima Burton Mesa Groundcover

Identification

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Description

This ground cover form of Arctostaphylos purrissima is a bright green, evergreen groundcover one foot by four foot. Purrissima is very tolerant of sand and can grow in beach sand in coastal regions. In the wild, along the central coast, it grows on sandstone and old beach sand in coastal chaparral.
This is one that surprised us. It seems to be hardy to about 0 and it's native to an area that rarely sees frost. I'm not certain how it will tolerate clay as it grows on 2-3 foot of sand on a clay hardpan, but other species that grow on this type soil are among the most garden and soil tolerant. It has been easy for us. It is very drought tolerant, as it originates form an area along California's coast that receives very little rainfall. It doesn't need extra water after the first year if your rainfall is above 15 inches/year. A rare plant that we are beginning to grow many types of to try and find a nice stable one that flowers well here and in its range. It is one of the prettiest plants there is. Heavy flowering and rich reds and bright greens in the foliage on deep red twisting branches are stunning. A great ground cover manzanita for sandy coastal regions.