Howard McMinn Manzanita is billed as the most garden tolerant of Manzanita’s— they are 100% right. Considering that it’s survived in heavier soil with occasional summer water and subpar planting conditions. If you don’t live in a swamp, you can probably get away with planting a McMinn Manzanita just find.

Manzanita’s are useful in the yard as sculptural focal points; they look good both in season and out of season. In season they are amazing, pushing out bell shaped pink to white flowers that shock people with their blossoms in the cold of January and February. Manzanita’s are excellent wildlife plants since they are one of the few nectar sources for hummingbirds and butterflies in the mid to late Winter.

Manzanita’s defy drought and once established they do not need water, though during a dry winter you should irrigate deeply to make up for the water deficit They make excellent evergreen shrubs, small trees, and groundcovers, though many groundcover cultivars hail from Northern California and may require a touch more moisture to perform well.

Prune Manzanita’s carefully, in the dry days of early fall since it hosts a fungal pathogen that can kill the Manzanita. The pathogen is at its lowest during dry, hot days, and highest when it is warm and moist. When pruning, sterilize your tools after every cut, and start from the highest branch that needs pruning and work your way down since the pathogen tends to inhabit branches close to the soil surface. Finally, only prune when necessary.

Have patience as Manzanita’s are slow growers, particularly if they’re in part shade like mine. Still, they’re worth the investment.

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