Pacific Mist Manzanita

This is the Manzanita we reach for more than any other! A tried and true hybrid, it is as attractive as it is a useful problem solver.  Need to cover some ground with a no maintenance workhorse? Done. Tough soil, limited water and mixed sun conditions? No problem.  Got a steep, blasting hot slope? Bring it on.  Pacific Mist can tackle most situations.  Even dry shade under a dappled canopy of established trees with competitively thirsty roots.  Not to mention, it tends to be less susceptible to deer browsing than upright types and Kinnickinnick.

Pacific Mist has simple leaves that are a soothing amalgam of blue-grey-sage-green and more narrow and pointed than our other typical species.  New growth has a paler brightness that glows at the tips of deep red stems, subtly lined with luminous white peach fuzz, transforming them into a frosted pinkish color – inspiring so many fun color echo combos with perennials and other small shrubs!  With age, cinnamon colored bark can be exposed and highlighted, especially if being put to good use as a low specimen.  While not as profuse a bloomer as many of its larger cousins, Pacific Mist will increase its flower power over time, putting on a more subtle show of white urn shaped blooms borne in clusters that still draw in all the usual pollinators and hummers.  Orangey-red drupes follow in late summer, providing important forage for birds and small mammals.  

One of the faster growing Manzanitas, Pacific Mist can easily cover 6′ in about 5 years, with some stems crawling along the ground and others like long arms arching and reaching up to 2-3′ tall. Its octopus like growth habit can be left wild and even thinned out to create a sculptural presence, or you can tip prune in spring after bloom commences to encourage a more dense, bushy habit.  Sun exposure will also affect density and growth – the more shade the more loose and lax it will be.   A weekly deep soak until established and then only occasionally during the hot months is all this CA native sprawler needs to be a stellar performer in your landscape.