Arctostaphylos pungens

Identification

Description

Mexican manzanita is an evergreen shrub around six foot tall, (usually taller than wide) that grows from Montana to Mount Tamalpais (just north of the Golden gate)south to Baja, and on to Texas. Mexican Manzanita is dark green to gray with shining red bark. This species looks out of place in the brown areas where it is native. One tough plant that tolerates alkaline clay, sand, gravel, wind and snow. (A Postal Manzanita?)
Chipmunks, many birds, and even butterflies use manzanitas. Do not worry, if you do not have chipmunks, we will not send one. (Yeah, I know it's a tree squirrel.)
Arctostaphylos pungens would make an ideal freeway planting. Mexican manzanita has done well in the San Joaquin Valley and should do fair to good in the desert, grows to 8000' in Arizona (Kearney & Peebles) and also grows along the inner coast ranges. Its very narrow, almost straight-sided form (our selection) allows it to stand out in contrast from most of the manzanitas which are as wide or wider than tall, and have a vase-like, low, mounding, or rounded form, etc.. BUT, Mexican manzanita is highly variable and in some instances can look like a completely different plant and will not key to Arctostaphylos pungens, even though it is. If you're after the red bark and vase shaped form for a specimen manzanita this is one to look at.