Arctostaphylos pajaroensis

This manzanita endemic to a small area of coastal California centered around the Pajaro river valley has taken a few classes in color theory it seems, seasonally doling out perfect color pairings from an elegantly chosen palette. Blue green foliage and dusty red to copper bark provide a beautiful baseline supplemented by pops of bronzey-red new growth and soft pink flowers in the early spring which are particularly long-lasting in this species. Coastal elite indeed.