Manzanita

The weather (there's that word again) is so wonky.  Today the temperatures reached the low 70's and the manzanita on the hillside is already in bloom.  

                                                                                                                                                                             

Manzanita doesn't look instantly impressive.  It's the sort of shrub that becomes more beautiful as it's studied and admired.

The bark is a smooth, reddish-brown and the branches fan out in a lovely way.










The flowers are understated, but every one of them is a perfect, pale pink urn shape.  The whole shrub looks much too delicate and pretty to be stuck on our rough hillsides.  But they do very well and delight the eye every springtime.