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Ornithostaphylos oppositifolia
Also called Baja California Birdbush
A slow-growing, evergreen shrub or small tree in the heather family, found only in northwestern Baja California with a tiny population in California. It is a rare, specimen-type plant best suited to dry, well-drained gardens in mild climates.
Ornithostaphylos is a monotypic plant genus which contains the single species Ornithostaphylos oppositifolia, commonly known as the Baja California birdbush or Baja California manzanita. A large, evergreen shrub in the heather family, this species is near-endemic to northwestern Baja California, with a small population just north of the border in San Ysidro, California. It produces a much-branched inflorescence of white, urn-shaped flowers, and has leathery leaves that appear opposite or in whorls. These characteristics separate it from its close relatives in the region, which include manzanitas (Arctostaphylos), summer holly (Comarostaphylis) and mission manzanita (Xylococcus).
This species is distributed throughout northwestern Baja California, Mexico and a small part of California in the United States. In Baja California, it is found from Tijuana south to the southern end of the Sierra de San Pedro Martir. In California, around 100 individuals are found growing north of the International Border on a single mesa near the Tijuana Hills.
A very slow growing, rare plant, this attractive small tree is well suited in gardens within its native area as a collector's or specimen plant. It is hardy down to 12 °F. It is drought-tolerant but does fine with occasional watering, enjoying well-draining to rocky soil.
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Ornithostaphylos by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.
