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Little Sur Manzanita

Arctostaphylos edmundsii

Little Sur manzanita is a low, spreading groundcover manzanita from the Big Sur coast, hugging slopes with small bright leaves and early pink bloom. A first-rate deer-resistant evergreen groundcover. 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

dry

Soil pH

acidic, neutral

Bloom

January, February, November, December

Bloom colors

pink

Wildlife value

songbirds, pollinators, larval host

Caterpillar hosts

~17 butterfly & moth species

Landscape uses

border, naturalizing

Native states

CA