Description

Bigberry manzanita is the dominant tree-form manzanita in the coastal mountains from Mount Diablo into Baja California. It also occurs in the western foothills of the southern Sierra Nevada. It grows as a rounded to vase-shaped tree up to twenty feet. Do not expect to see this height in the garden during your lifetime, however. Bigberry manzanita is a rather slow grower. Over time it develops a tortuous branch structure. The color of the large oval leaves ranges from olive green to gray-green. The bark is a smooth burnt orange/red. The clusters of pendent, urn shaped flowers appear in winter. They develop into the large red fruit for which bigberry manzanita is named. Bigberry manzanita appreciates fairly well-draining soil and little or no supplemental irrigation after it is established. Some protection from the afternoon sun is helpful in hot inland areas. Placing a few boulders around the base of the plant mimics its mountainous growing sites. In Santa Clara County, some mature specimens may be appreciated along the Manzanita Trail in the St.Joseph Hill Preserve.