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Vine Hill Manzanita

Arctostaphylos densiflora

Vine Hill manzanita is a rare, garden-beloved California manzanita with glossy leaves, smooth red bark, and abundant pink bloom. A choice deer-resistant evergreen for dry, well-drained sites. Like other manzanitas, the fruit is traditionally cooked into preserves, jelly, or a cooling drink, best after the first frost sweetens it; the leaves make a tea, best taken in moderation and best avoided in pregnancy.

Family

Ericaceae

Type

shrub

Lifespan

perennial

Height

0.5–1 ft

Spacing

3–6 ft apart

Light

sun

Soil moisture

moist

Soil pH

acidic, neutral

Bloom

February, March, April

Bloom colors

white, pink

Wildlife value

songbirds, butterflies, pollinators, larval host

Caterpillar hosts

~17 butterfly & moth species

Landscape uses

border, naturalizing

Native states

CA