Common Manzanita, Parry Manzanita                ark-tow-STAF-i-los man-za-NEET-a

• Broadleaf evergreen shrub or small tree, 6.5-25+ ft (2-8+ m) tall, crooked branching habit, may form dense thickets; does not form a burl.  Stems purplish-red, smooth to finely pubescent.  Leaves alternate, simple, erect, 2–5 cm long and 1–3.5 cm wide, generally broadly ovate, base rounded to wedge-shaped, tip mucronate (short abrupt point), margin entire, both surfaces similar, bright green, shiny, glabrous, smooth, petiole 6–12 mm long.  Flowers small, urn-shaped, white to pinkish, in dense, pendulous clusters to 3 cm, at ends of branches.  Fruit a flattened sphere, 8-12 mm wide, glabrous to hairy, white then red-brown.
• Sun or part shade.  Some consider it the best all around manzanita.
• Hardy to USDA Zone 8    Native to California, North Coast Range, foothills of the Cascades and Sierra Nevada mountains, and San Francisco Bay Area.
• ‘Dr. Hurd’---- a tree-like form, 12-15 ft (~3.5-4.5 m) tall, similar width, open, up swept stems, mahogany bark, large leaves, white flowers.
• ‘St. Helena’---- stout, widely spreading trunks, bright cinnamon bark, gray green leaves, white flowers.