Manzanita, OR - May 2023
Spent the weekend on the Oregon coast near Manzanita and Nehalem Bay, OR. Saw one of my favorite plants Arctostaphylos x media which is a hybrid between A. columbiana and A. uva-ursi. Commonly known in horticulture as ‘Pacific Mist’. See my previous post for more info. Shoutout to Xera nursery in Portland for showing me this site.
Pretty cool to see this plant in its natural habitat. Unfortunately, this spot is becoming outcompeted with scotch broom and is under a developement notice. I’m seeing more and more, the places I love converted to agriculture or paved over. It’s hard to witness from an ecological point of view. There’s so much out there that is understudied and under-appreciated that’s disappearing before we even know what’s there. Burning down the library before we know what’s inside. That’s a big reason why I write this blog - to document the habitats and plant communities out there that don’t get enough recognition.
Send me an email if you’d like to know more about this spot, get coordinates, or visit to collect seeds of these plants.
Arctostaphylos columbiana
Arctostaphylos x media
Arctostaphylos x media. Sprawling/trailing growth form, round leaves, pink flowers.
Arctostaphylos x media
Arctostaphylos x media. Unique growth form, slightly upright but trailing.
Arctostaphylos x media amongst the lichen.
Arctostaphylos x media growing out of sandy substrate.
Arctostaphylos uva-ursi. Smaller leaves and smaller woody stems.
Actaea rubra
Prosartes smithii
Rubus spectabilis
Heracleum maximum
Tellima grandiflora
Trillium ovatum
Viola glabella
