Description

Montara Mountain marks the northern limit of the Santa Cruz Mountains. From its peak one spies the Pacific Ocean on one side and the SF Bay on the other. At five hundred feet or so, the narrow range of the Montara manzanita begins. In this coastal chaparral, this rare manzanita grows in a variety of forms from a rolling ground cover to an upright tree. If there is an “average” form it is an upright shrub. The leaves are elongated ovals that terminate in a sharp tip. The leaves clasp the stem and overlap one another on young stems. Over time the structure opens up to reveal red-orange mahogany bark. This manzanita blooms in January with dense clusters of white or light peak. Although quite exposed to the sun in its native clime, Montara manzanita should be given some shade protection in the afternoon when grown away from the cooling influence of the Pacific.