Description

This manzanita is one of many species with a very limited range. As the common name implies, it grows only in Marin County, often in rocky forest openings and chaparral. The form is mounding to upright. Over time it can even take on a tree form up to 15 feet or so. The bark is smooth and burnt orange. The lance shaped leaves overlap each other and cover the plant thickly. The plant opens up with age, revealing the attractive bark and tortuous branch structure. The white urn-shaped flowers appear in early winter, and yield compressed berries by summer. This manzanita has been quite hardy in the nursery. Given well-draining soil Marin manzanita should thrive away from its narrow range with some protection from the afternoon sun.