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Arctostaphylos 'Pacific Mist' (Pacific Mist Manzanita) - A fast growing low sprawling shrub, 2 feet tall with a 6–10-foot spread, that has twisting branches that are pinkish at first then mature to a dark purple-brown and turn upwards towards the tips. These branches bear narrow 2 to 3 inch long gray-green foliage that is grayer in hotter inland gardens and greener near the coast where it really performs the best. It occasionally, but not reliably, flowers in late winter with small white urn shaped flowers that can be followed by red berries that are attractive to birds.
Plant in full sun to light shade and water very little to occasionally with more water need in inland plantings. Has proven to be hardy enough (listed to 0°F) to be grown in gardens in the Pacific Northwest. This cultivar is a quicker growing than other manzanitas and a bit more open in its youth, but older plantings are quite dense - pinch new growth on young plants to encourage early branching.
Arctostaphylos 'Pacific Mist' is one of the few gray-leafed groundcover manzanitas and is good for dry shade and also more tolerant of heavy soils and garden irrigation than many other manzanitas. It performs best in coastal gardens and is noted to grow in both heavier soils and coastal sandy sand. It was introduced by Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden in 1981 where it was found as a volunteer seedling and is speculated to be an Arctostaphylos silvicola hybrid. It has long been a durable and reliable Manzanita in the garden and one of our favorite California native hybrid cultivars; we have grown this great plant at our nursery and listed it in our catalog since 1990.
The name Arctostaphylos was given to the genus by the French (of Scottish descent) naturalist Michel Adanson (1707-1778), who first named the circumboreal Arctostaphylos uva-ursi for plants found in Europe. The name comes from the Greek words 'arktos' meaning "bear" and 'staphyle' meaning grapes in reference to bears eating the fruit and the common name Bearberry also references this fact.
This information about Arctostaphylos 'Pacific Mist' displayed is based on research conducted in our horticultural library and from reliable online resources. We also will relate observations made about it as it grows in our nursery gardens and other gardens we have visited, as well how the crops have performed in containers in our nursery field. We will also incorporate comments that we receive from others and we welcome hearing from anyone with additional information, particularly if they can share any cultural information that would aid others in growing it.
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