Xylococcus bicolor

Mission Manzanita is a one of a kind shrub or small tree. The only species of the genera Xylococcus. (Not to be confused with staphylococcus.) Mission Manzanita is an evergreen shrub that only grows wild along the coast from Los Angeles to Baja and on Santa Catalina island.

It looks like a Manzanita crossed with a coffeeberry. Or maybe a Madrone crossed with a olive tree. Mission Manzanita has the glossy nut brown bark of a Manzanita but with extra large manzanita-like flowers and leaves that look more like coffeeberry than a Manzanita. It tolerates most soils, but needs perfect drainage. It is native to rainfall areas of about 15-20 inches/year. Although I once observed a Mission Manzanita in San Diego that was a small tree maybe 20 foot tall, that is not common. Most Mission Manzanitas form an interesting shrub, with nice flowers that the hummingbirds like. Use as a backdrop to Salvia clevelandii 'Alpine' and San Diego Sunflower.

Associated plants include; Adenostoma fasciculatum, Ceanothus crassifolius, Cercocarpus betuloides,  Diplacus longiflorus, Eriophyllum confertiflorum, Eriogonum fasciculatum,  Heteromeles arbutifolia, Malosma laurina, Prunus ilicifolia,  Rhus ovata, Ribes malvaceum, and Salvia mellifera.