Plant Details

It is quite garden tolerant and very vigorous. A superior wildlife selection with masses of pale pink flowers early spring w/premium nectar and burnt orange later drupes on. (Rogue Valley Nursery) Broadleaf evergreen, large shrub or small tree, with branches with twisted, dark mahogany bark.  Leaves alternate, simple, leathery, elliptic to ovate, to about 7.5 cm long, glossy gray-green.  Flowers pale pink, bell-like, in small branched clusters.  Fruit somewhat globose, tan-orange.A chance hybrid found in the demonstration garden of Native Sons Nursery, Arroyo Grande, Calif.  " It is believed to have resulted from a cross of A. manzanita ‘Dr. Hurd’ [white flowered} with A. densiflora ‘Sentinel’ [pink flowered].  It was named in memory of Austin Griffiths, who, according to the those at Native Sons Nursery, "guided us in our early years and opened our imaginations to the wonders of horticulture."  (Oregon State University)