Age of Manzanita Tree? - Trip to Sedona Arizona

by joseph cusimano
(jcusi40@yahoo.com)

I am a native of Phoenix, I haven't traveled much of the state, but Sedona is a beautiful adventure. The Manzanita trees found all over that region sort of resemble the Bonsai.I was wondering if even some of the small plants could be hundreds of years old. They appear to be rugged and the wood looks very dense. Aside from cutting a cross section of the plant is there any way to know how old the plant is?

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Arbutus Ron here...

Good question. They grow so slowly and are so very hardy they can be quite old. No idea how to tell their age. Perhaps another reader will comment who has an idea!

Thanks for writing!