J20161202-0008—Arctostaphylos edmundsii—RPBG (31422509235)

Description:

Arctostaphylos edmundsii—Little Sur manzanita. Included in the CNPS Inventory of Rare and Endangered Plants on list 1B.2 (rare, threatened, or endangered in CA and elsewhere). Eight populations exist in the wild near the mouth of the Little Sur River in Monterey County. The greatest threat to the species these days is probably too much love from humans as the CNPS Inventory lists a major threat as " foot traffic". The label for this specimen says that it is the "Type Plant", and indeed, it is likely that the original description of this species by J. T. Howell from a collection by Louis Edmunds in 1951 was made using this plant. The species, especially the cultivar 'Carmel Sur'. has proven quite adaptable to coastal California gardens. Photographed at Regional Parks Botanic Garden located in Tilden Regional Park near Berkeley, CA.