Warning: Some posts on this platform may contain adult material intended for mature audiences only. Viewer discretion is advised. By clicking ‘Continue’, you confirm that you are 18 years or older and consent to viewing explicit content.
The old bark cracks into sections as the trunk expands. This ability to shed is part of the plant’s defense against insects and disease. When each year’s skin is shed, insects and disease are shed along with it. As opposed to the skin/defense of thicker, rougher bark, as most other plants have, Manzanitas are able to have the thin, sleek, smooth bark they are famous for.
Seems like it, yes: https://lansinggardendesign.com/blog/2020/9/6/arctostaphylos-bark