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Rainbow Manzanita
Arctostaphylos rainbowensis
  
4 Nurseries Carry This Plant

About Rainbow Manzanita (Arctostaphylos rainbowensis) 4 Nurseries Carry This Plant Arctostaphylos rainbowensis is a rare species in the Ericaceae (Heath) family known by the common name Rainbow manzanita. It is endemic to California, where it is known only from northern San Diego and southern Riverside Counties. A specimen was first collected in 1973 and considered to be part of a disjunct population of Arctostaphylos peninsularis, or alternately a hybrid between A. glauca and Arctostaphylos glandulosa. Following phenetic analyses both possibilities were discarded and the plant was described as a new species in 1994. It was named for the community of Rainbow, California, near where it is most common in the chaparral of the lower elevation coastal mountains and the only manzanita species throughout most of its range. Due to its limited distribution it is included on CNPS list 1B.1.

This is an erect shrub reaching a bushlike one meter to a treelike four meters in height. It produces a burl at its base and is coated in reddish brown, smooth bark. The oval leaves are up to 5 centimeters long and 3.5 wide and are hairless and somewhat waxy in texture. The flower cluster is a hanging cluster of white urn-shaped flowers each about 6 to 8 millimeters long. The fruit is about a centimeter wide and ripens to a dark purple-brown.
Plant Description
Plant Type
Plant Type
Shrub

Size
Size
3.3 - 13.2 ft tall
3 - 16 ft wide

Form
Form
Rounded, Upright

Growth Rate
Growth Rate
Moderate

Dormancy
Dormancy
Evergreen

Flower Color
Flower Color
Pink, White

Flowering Season
Flowering Season
Winter, Spring

Wildlife Supported
 
Hummingbirds and insects are attracted to the flowers. Various birds and small mammals are attracted to the fruits.

 
Butterflies & moths hosted ( 30 likely * ) SHOW ALL
*
Callophrys augustinus Image
The Brown Elfin Callophrys augustinusCallophrys augustinus
*
Hyles lineata Image
White-lined Sphinx Hyles lineataHyles lineata
*
Hyalophora euryalus Image
Ceanothus Silkmoth Hyalophora euryalusHyalophora euryalus
*
Hemileuca eglanterina Image
Elegant Sheepmoth Hemileuca eglanterinaHemileuca eglanterina
*
Egira perlubens Image
Brown Woodling Egira perlubensEgira perlubens
*
Archips argyrospila Image
Fruit-Tree Leafroller Moth Archips argyrospilaArchips argyrospila
*
Hesperumia sulphuraria Image
Sulphur Moth Hesperumia sulphurariaHesperumia sulphuraria

Landscaping Information
Sun
Sun
Full Sun

Moisture
Moisture
Very Low

Summer Irrigation
Summer Irrigation
Max 1x / month once established

Nurseries
Nurseries
Carried by 4

Cold Tolerance
Cold Tolerance
Tolerates cold to 5° F

Soil Drainage
Soil Drainage
Fast, Medium

Soil Description
Soil Description
Prefers sandy or decomposed granite soil. Soil PH: 6.0 - 7.5

Common uses
Common uses
Bird Gardens, Hummingbird Gardens, Bee Gardens

Companion Plants
Companion Plants
Can be used with any other chaparral or coastal sage scrub plants. In the wild it is associated with California Copperleaf (Acalypha californica), Chamise (Adenostoma fasciculatum), California Adolphia (Adolphia californica), Coyote Brush (Baccharis pilularis), San Diego Viguiera (Bahiopsis laciniata), Nevin's Barberry (Berberis nevinii), Ceanothus sp., Mountain Mahogany (Cercocarpus sp.), Bushrue (Cneoridium dumosum), Bush Poppy (Dendromecon rigida), Buckwheat (Eriogonum sp.), Yucca (Hesperoyucca whipplei and Yucca shidigera), Bush Mallow (Malacothamnus sp.), Sage (Salvia sp.), and Woolly Bluecurls (Trichostema lanatum).

Natural Setting
Site Type
Site Type
Slopes

Climate
Climate
Annual Precipitation: 14.0" - 22.7", Summer Precipitation: 0.26" - 2.06", Coldest Month: 41.0" - 54.0", Hottest Month: 67.8" - 79.8", Humidity: 1.54" - 25.77", Elevation: 327" - 5874"


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Sources include: Wikipedia. All text shown in the "About" section of these pages is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Plant observation data provided by the participants of the California Consortia of Herbaria, Sunset information provided by Jepson Flora Project. Propogation from seed information provided by the Santa Barbara Botanical Garden from "Seed Propagation of Native California Plants" by Dara E. Emery. Sources of plant photos include CalPhotos, Wikimedia Commons, and independent plant photographers who have agreed to share their images with Calscape. Other general sources of information include Calflora, CNPS Manual of Vegetation Online, Jepson Flora Project, Las Pilitas, Theodore Payne, Tree of Life, The Xerces Society, and information provided by CNPS volunteer editors, with special thanks to Don Rideout. Climate data used in creation of plant range maps is from PRISM Climate Group, Oregon State University, using 30 year (1981-2010) annual "normals" at an 800 meter spatial resolution.

Links:   Jepson eFlora Taxon Page  CalPhotos  Wikipedia  Calflora


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