Arctostaphylos uva-ursi ‘Point Reyes’, Point Reyes Bearberry

An unusual selection of our native bearberry discovered near the Point Reyes lighthouse in Marin County. Dark green, leathery leaves form distinctive whorls along the stems with pale pink, urn-shaped flowers emerging in early winter. The showy red berries contrast nicely with the dark green leaves. Reaching a height of about 12–l8 in. and a width approaching 6 ft., this groundcover works well in a rock garden or mixed with other low shrubs and grasses from our coastal areas.

Point Reyes makes a great groundcover and slope stabilizer. It has proven to be very garden tolerant and has done well in the interior heat with some regular summer water. Prefers sun in coastal sites, and part shade in inland sites. Give moderate water in interior locations and protect from the hot afternoon sun. May tolerate infrequent irrigation with afternoon shade or when grown near the ocean. Give this manzanita a well-draining soil for best performance, but you will find it is not fussy about what type of soil. Rocky or sandy, acid soils to richer heavier soils, Point Reyes seems to grow in all these conditions.