Arctostaphylos uva-ursi suborbiculata ssp. - Bearberry

Description

A rare form of A. uva-ursi found only at Kamchatka Point and in a few other patches on San Bruno Mountain.  Known commonly as the miniature manzanita, it's like if you took a Bearberry and hit it with a shrink-ray.  Its little leaves are a glossy dark green, short and fat, the tip is somewhere between rounded and acute.  Stems are a beautiful red on the first year growth with dense, short, non-glandular hairs.  Older woody growth is a duller red/brown/maroon color.  Leaf margins are entire also with short dense hairs.  Nascent inflorescence is glandular/hairy, and the darling little urn-shaped flowers are light pink.  It's not likely that we will grow this plant again, but we keep the page here for informational purposes.  Read more about this plant on the San Bruno Mountain Watch website!  Knowledge is power!