Description
Arctostaphylos densiflora. Broadleaf evergreen shrub, mounding shrub, 4-8 ft (1.2-2.4 m) tall by 6-10 ft (1.8-3.0 m) wide, reddish brown stems. Leaves alternate, simple, 1-3 cm long, elliptic, glossy green, upper and lower sides similar. Flowers small, pendulous, white with a pinkish ting, in tight, short clusters, produced in spring. Fruit about 6 mm, somewhat spherical, brick red, matures in the summer, persists into winter.
Sun to light shade, requires acid soils, tolerates clay-loam soils, best with good drainage; drought tolerant. Considered a long-lived and dependable selection. Sunset Western Garden Book (2007) suggests pinching the tips of any upright branches after flowering to make the plant as dense as a “sheared Kurume azalea.” Hardy to USDA Zone (6)7. Named after Howard E. McMinn, California botanist and author. (OSU) Photo credit: Steve Matson
