Arctostaphylos silvicola Ghostly Manzanita

Identification

Gallery

Description

Arctostaphylos silvicola Ghostly is very gray almost white-pink plant with red bark. One of the most gray plants I've ever seen, much grayer than lavender or lavender cotton. Evergray shrub to 8ft., native to the central coast mountains in old sand dunes. The only people who have not been intrigued with it in our mother planting were people that hate gray. Most of our customers bird dog over to it. From Thomas Marine sand deposits... growing with Pinus ponderosa, P. attenuata, Adenostoma fasciculatum, Ceanothus spp., Eriodictyon californicum, Dendromecon rigida, and Quercus agrifolia.
Ghostly manzanita has been very stable here and tolerated the cold well. This manzanita doesn't tolerate summer water well though so water extra in the winter and early spring if you need to. 'Ghostly' will grow well in shallow soils. It is native in a rainfall area of about 40". With the bright red bark on this clean 6-8 ft. bush it is very distinct for a contrast against a blue building or brick walk.