Louis Edmunds Manzanita

You hear a lot about conservation these days and the need to protect species that are declining in the wild. It's usually the cute or fuzzy ones that get all the attention - pandas, gorillas, sea turtles.

You don't often hear of the plants that are disappearing in the wild. Louis Edmunds Manzanita (Arctostaphylos bakeri 'Louis Edmunds'), while not on the endangered plants list, is considered very rare and highly threatened by quickly moving development in its native Sonoma County, CA.

The Louis Edmunds Manzanita is a beautiful upright shrub! It is a very durable native that is super-easy care if it is planted in a place it loves. The pretty gray-green broadleaf evergreen leaves contrast nicely with the purple-brown trunks and they are the perfect background to show off the showy clusters of pink flowers that cover the plant in the spring. The butterfly-friendly flowers are a striking 'urn' shape that demands closer examination.

Hardy throughout USDA planting zones 7 to 9, these flowering evergreen shrubs grow 6-8 feet in height and grow a bit slimmer at maturity. Slower growing, these are wonderfully Deer-resistant and water-wise!

Planting and Application:

Give a plant a hand! The more you plant, the better chance these great shrubs have at staying off of the endangered plants list! Not only will you support these great natives, but also the many pollinators and Hummingbirds that depend on their blooms! The flowers are followed by berries that attract waxwings, robins and mockingbirds to come a stay for a while. The foliage also provides safe coverage for quail and hummingbirds.

Remove the lower third to half of the limbs and expose the purplish bark and multi-trunked twisting branches - creating a unique tree form! You can even create a small topiary or bonsai tree with regular training! Pot up in a large planter or decorative raised bed for a prominent focal point in your Xeric and Rock garden setting!

Manzanita are fantastic hedge plants, backdrops, foundation plants, and manageable privacy that screens out unwanted views and prying eyes all year round! Plant your new outdoor garden room walls, windbreak, or property dividing hedges 3-4 feet apart on center so the branches will grow together and form a solid screen!

• Four Seasons of Interest!
• Pink & White Urn-Shaped Blooms
• Hardy Native Flowering Broadleaf Evergreen
• Shelter & Food For Wildlife & Pollinators
• Tough Water-Wise Native Plant
• Tall Hedges, Windbreaks, Specimens & Focal Points!

#ProPlantTips for Care:

These heat lovers are very drought-tolerant and are great for sunny, dry areas though they do enjoy an occasional deep watering. Established Manzanita seems to almost thrive on neglect, so you don't need to baby it! Water enough just to establish then grow with only supplemental moisture during prolonged drought and extreme heat.

Prune or shear your Manzanita after the flowers fade, and you can train these smaller if needed. For hedges, keep the tops narrower than the bottoms to avoid the bottoms being shaded out. Provide a 3-4 inch deep layer of mulch to support your plant's roots and keep weeds at bay all year round!

• Easy to Grow Full Sun Shrubs
• Water-Wise & Drought Tolerant Once Established
• Tolerates Almost Any Well-Drained Soil
• Prune or Shear After Flowering
• Deer, & Rabbit Resistant

Don't wait until our supply of these rare plants is depleted in their native environment. Order your own Louis Edumds Manzanita today and support native shrubs and wildlife by filling your landscape with hardy, water-wise plants!