Description:

A California native shrub with shredding red or grayish bark; new foliage is bright orange-red, maturing to silvery blue-green; large clusters of pink to white urn shaped flowers in winter; protect from midday sun when grown inland

Ornamental Features

Warren Roberts Pajaro Manzanita features showy nodding pink bell-shaped flowers with white overtones at the ends of the branches from mid winter to early spring. It has attractive bluish-green foliage with hints of silver which emerges orange in spring. The small oval leaves are highly ornamental and remain bluish-green throughout the winter. The fruits are showy orange drupes with a red blush, which are displayed from mid summer to mid fall. The shaggy gray bark and brick red branches are extremely showy and add significant winter interest.

Landscape Attributes

Warren Roberts Pajaro Manzanita is a dense multi-stemmed evergreen shrub with a ground-hugging habit of growth. Its relatively fine texture sets it apart from other landscape plants with less refined foliage.

This is a relatively low maintenance shrub, and should only be pruned after flowering to avoid removing any of the current season's flowers. It is a good choice for attracting bees, butterflies and hummingbirds to your yard, but is not particularly attractive to deer who tend to leave it alone in favor of tastier treats. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Warren Roberts Pajaro Manzanita is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Accent
• Mass Planting
• Hedges/Screening
• Rock/Alpine Gardens
• General Garden Use
• Groundcover
• Naturalizing And Woodland Gardens

Planting & Growing

Warren Roberts Pajaro Manzanita will grow to be about 4 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 8 feet. It tends to fill out right to the ground and therefore doesn't necessarily require facer plants in front. It grows at a slow rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 30 years.

This shrub does best in full sun to partial shade. It is very adaptable to both dry and moist growing conditions, but will not tolerate any standing water. It is considered to be drought-tolerant, and thus makes an ideal choice for xeriscaping or the moisture-conserving landscape. This plant does not require much in the way of fertilizing once established. It is very fussy about its soil conditions and must have sandy, acidic soils to ensure success, and is subject to chlorosis (yellowing) of the foliage in alkaline soils, and is able to handle environmental salt. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. This is a selection of a native North American species.