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Today I’m taking part in the Macro Monday photo challenge. If you like what you see, I encourage you to subscribe so you can enjoy the new photos I post a few times a week.
The manzanita tree is very common in Southern California. It’s one of those trees / shrubs that does well in a dry climate and can resist drought. Manzanita is Spanish for “little apple” and the tree grows large berries the size of, you guessed it, little apples. This is what the tree looks like as a whole. And yes, if you’re wondering, the sky really was that blue the day I took this photo in the mountains. I could just stare at this blue sky the whole day.
What I find interesting in this manzanita tree is its bark. It tends to peel to reveal new bark underneath, and as it does, the old bark curls up, which makes for a peculiar look. This is what a branch with peeling bark looks like overall.
Here’s a close-up of this manzanita tree bark. I love how the sunlight makes it look even more reddish orange than it really is.
And if the tree bark underneath is still very new, it looks quite green, a nice contrast with the red peeling bark. You can click on this image for a larger view.
I hope you enjoyed my selections for this Macro Monday.
milkapejovic.com 
Interesting close-up, Milka.
Thank you very much!
I love this post! I love the different aspects of the tree.
Thank you! There’s definitely a lot going on with the manzanita tree if you pay close attention.
Wow, that really is amazing. Beautiful pictures.
Thank you! They really are great looking trees from up close.
I love the close-up shots. I never think to get so close to things to find out what they really look like. The other day, I saw a woman getting really close to a flower to photograph it, and I thought of you. 🙂
Love that blue sky, too! Wow.
Haha, that’s me taking pictures, wondering what people passing by think! That blue sky WAS amazing and we got to enjoy it for a few days. I think the air at 5000 feet up is a lot cleaner and allows the sky to be that blue. Even with my crappy cell phone camera, I got some nice blue sky photos.
Beautiful colours and textures.
Thank you very much!
What beautiful colors! The peeling tree bark reminds me of a Madrone tree that grows here close to the salt water.
Lisa
Wow, it does look the same, and yet that madrone tree is supposed to be on the coast only, so I don’t think it’s the same. There are tons of Manzanita trees in Southern California because it’s one of the only trees that can put up with such dry weather. Many of the pine trees we saw on vacation have been dying in the past 10 years because of the lack of rain. Very sad.
What an extraordinary tree!
I love the color of the bark, such dark red. Thanks for stopping by and taking the time to comment!
wonderful detailed images!
Thank you very much!
Love these trees, although I didn’t realize the difference between these and Madrones. They are beautiful!
They must belong to the same family somehow. There are tons of varieties of manzanita trees and all these trees grow in Western US. They sure make an interesting subject to photograph.
I love the texture on these trees. And the color. It’s so vivid!
The light was so perfect that day, great for pictures. Very clear sky, a little shade to diminish the brightness a bit. I wish every day was like that for photos!