Manzanitas from Central California

Arctostaphylos glauca is great for a bird garden and a butterfly garden.These are manzanitas that are found from south of San Francisco to around Santa Barbara county. Just because you live in this area doesn't mean you can grow all these. What kind of soil do you have (clay, sand )? Are you near the coast or in the desert ( high rainfall, low rainfall)? It is fairly easy to raise rainfall, just water. If you have high rainfall though, you are stuck with it. Keep these things in mind when picking your Manzanitas.

These species are just a place to start depending on your exact location you may be able to grow manzanitas from northern and southern California as well!

drip irrigation kill most California nativesDon't forget Manzanitas hate drip irrigation and soil amendments!

Arctostaphylos crustacea tolerates full sun, part sun,and sand.

Arctostaphylos crustacea, Brittleleaf Manzanita

An irregular shaped upright manzanitaBrittleleaf Manzanita is a 3-4ft high shrub with light-green leaves, reddish stems and pink flowers. It is found in the Chaparral plant community.


Arctostaphylos edmundsii, Little Sur manzanita

Little Sur manzanita is a very low ground cover, 6 to 1.5 ft, with pink flowers. It grows in Chaparral and along Coastal Strand at the mouth of Little Sur river in Monterey county.

A. edmundsii, cultivars:

Big Sur ManzanitaThis form of edmundsii probably has some hookeri in it

Big Sur Manzanita is a 1-3 foot tall ground cover with dark green leaves and white flowers. It is found in Coastal Sage Scrub and Redwood Forest plant communities.

Carmel Sur ManzanitaA flat green manzanita

Carmel Sur manzanita is a very low ground cover only a few inches tall. It has dark green foliage and pink flowers. This cultivar is more at home in the Coastal Sage Scrub plant community.

Arctostaphylos edmundsii Carmel Sur Manzanita tolerates full sun, part sun, sand,and clay.
Danville Manzanita

This is a beautiful manzanita with delicate pink flowers and round green leaves. New growth is reddish.Another low flat manzanita

Arctostaphylos edmundsii Danville Manzanita tolerates full sun, part sun, sand,and clay.
Indian Hill Manzanita

Indian Hill manzanita is an evergreen ground cover. It grows 6in tall by 4ft wide. It has light green foliage. It grows in the Northern Coastal Sage Scrub plant community.

Arctostaphylos edmundsii parvifolia, Sur Manzanita 

This manzanita is similar to Danville manzanita but it needs mild conditions.

Arctostaphylos glauca tolerates full sun,and alkaline soil.
Arctostaphylos glauca, Big Berry ManzanitaA gray upright manzanita.

Big Berry manzanita makes a beautiful small tree or a large bushy shrub. It has very smooth red bark and white to pinkish flowers. Hummingbirds like it. It makes a stunning tree with its gray foliage and its shiny red bark. It grows in many very dry, very hot areas as well as many cold areas. It is found in Chaparral, Joshua Tree Woodland, and Pinyon-Juniper Woodland. It is found in the coast ranges in southern California as well as in the interior coast ranges to Mount Diablo in Contra Costa county.

Arctostaphylos glauca, Dwaine's Dwarf

Dwaine's Dwarf manzanita looks like Big berry but grows to only six feet tall.

Arctostaphylos glandulosa mollis tolerates full sun,and clay.
Arctostaphylos glandulosa mollis Arctostaphylos glandulosa types are unpredictable.

This variety is found in chaparral and Yellow pine forest from San Luis Obispo county to riverside county. It grows 4 to 8 feet tall. It has gray-green foliage, white flowers, and hairy stems.

Arctostaphylos glandulosa zacaensis, San Marcos Manzanita

San Marcos Manzanita grows 3 to 6 ft tall and has pale green foliage. It is found near lake Zaca in Santa Barbra county.

Arctostaphylos glandulosa zacaensis San Marcos Manzanita tolerates full sun, part sun,and sand.
Arctostaphylos glandulosa howellii, Harris Grade manzanita A wonderful two foot high mounding groundcover.

Harris grade manzanita has bright green shiny foliage with white flowers. It grows about 3 ft tall and is found in Santa Barbara county.

Arctostaphylos glandulosa howellii tolerates part sun, full shade, sand,and deer.
Arctostaphylos hookeri, Monterey manzanita

Monterey manzanita grows anywhere from 1ft to 4ft tall. It has smooth reddish bark with bright green leaves. The flowers are white or light pink and the fruit is red. It is found in the Coastal Strand and in the Closed-cone Pine Forest near the coast in Monterey county.

A. hookeri cultivars

Arctostaphylos hookeri Monterey Carpet manzanita tolerates part sun, full shade,and sand.

Monterey Carpet manzanitaMontery carpet manzanita is a foot tall small scale groundcover

Monterey Carpet grows 3-6 ft tall. It likes sand and grows well along the coast. It has trouble in harsh climates. This form grows in the shade of pines in Carmel.


Arctostaphylos hookeri Wayside Manzanita is great for a bird garden and a butterfly garden.

Wayside Manzanita a little taller, a little more stable.

Wayside Manzanita grows 1-3 ft tall. It can't tolerate the heat of the desert or Great Valley, but is effective in the bay area and most of Coastal california.

Arctostaphylos hookeri franciscana Franciscana Manzanita tolerates full sun, part sun,and clay.

Arctostaphylos hookeri franciscana, Franciscana Manzanita

sorry folks, it frooze

Franciscana Manzanita is similar to Monterey manzanita but the fruits and flowers are larger. It likes serpentine and is found in the Northern Coastal scrub along the San Fransisco Peninsula.


Arctostaphylos hookeri hearstiorum 

Arctostaphylos hookeri hearstiorum tolerates full sun, part sun, and clay. A flat manzanita. It grows on old ocean beaches and bluffs near Arroyo de la Cruz Creek north of San Simeon.

Arctostaphylos insularis tolerates full sun,and clay

Arctostaphylos insularis, Island ManzanitaA shinny green evergreen bush.

Island Manzanita has fat green leaves, dark reddish bark and white flowers. It grows 3 to 6 ft tall. It likes sand or clay. Island manzanita is found in chaparral on Santa Cruz and Santa Rosa islands.


Arctostaphylos mariposa's foliage color is Gray , and type is Evergreen .

Arctostaphylos mariposa, Mariposa Manzanita Mariposa manzanita grows into a bright gray bush.

Mariposa Manzanita has red bark gray foliage and white flowers. It grows anywhere from 3 to 12 ft tall. It is found in the yellow pine forest at the base of the sierras from Amador to Kern county


Arctostaphylos mewukka's foliage color is Gray , and type is Evergreen .

Arctostaphylos mewukka, Indian ManzanitaIndian manzanita

Indian Manzanita grows from three to eight feet tall with red bark and gray green foliage. The flowers vary from pink to white. It is found in the Chaparral and Yellow pine forest plant communities at the base of the sierras.


Arctostaphylos morroensis Park View Manzanita tolerates full sun, part sun,and sand.

Arctostaphylos morroensis, Morro ManzanitaA medium manzanita for sand.

Morro Manzanita is a gray shrub that grows from 3-6 ft tall. It has white flowers and red bark. Morro manzanita grows in sandy soil, in Chaparral, and Coastal Sage Scrub on the edges of the sand dunes south of Morro Bay in San Luis Obispo county.


Arctostaphylos obispoensis San Luis Obispo Manzanita tolerates full sun, part sun, clay,and serpentine.

Arctostaphylos obispoensis, San Luis Obispo Manzanitaa damn fine manzanita

San Luis Obispo manzanita grows 3-9 ft tall. It has dark purplish-red bark and gray leaves with white flowers. It is found in Closed-cone Pine Forest, Central Oak Woodland, and Mixed-evergreen Forest in San Luis Obispo and southern Monterey counties. It likes serpentine soils.


Arctostaphylos osoensis SLO Valley Manzanita's foliage color is reddish-green , and type is Evergreen .

Arctostaphylos osoensis, SLO Valley Manzanitathis manzanita grows flat near Los Osos.

SLO Valley manzanita is a ground cover that varies from 6 inches tall to 3 feet. It has dark green clasping leaves and faintly pink flowers. It grows in Chaparral, and Coastal Sage Scrub plant communities.


Arctostaphylos pajaroensis Paradise Manzanita's foliage color is Red , and type is Evergreen .

Arctostaphylos pajaroensis, Pajaro Manzanita Pajaro manzanita sprawls all over the place.

Pajaro Manzanita grows 3-9ft tall. It has very red new foliage and graciously arching branches ending in pinkish white flower clusters. It has dark red bark and light red fruit. It grows in Chaparral, Central Oak Woodland, and Coastal Sage Scrub in sandy soil near Prunedale in northern Monterey county.


Arctostaphylos patula tolerates full sun,and sand.

Arctostaphylos patula, Greenleaf ManzanitaGreenleaf manzanita will sprawl in heavy snow areas.

Green leaf manzanita grows anywhere from three to six feet tall with round green leaves, pink flowers and light reddish-brown bark. It is found in openings in Red Fir Forest, Lodgepole Forest, and Yellow Pine Forest in the sierras from Kern county north and along the coast ranges from Lake county north into Oregon.


Arctostaphylos pechoensis tolerates part sun,and full shade.

Arctostaphylos pechoensis, Pecho ManzanitaA 6 foot upright shrub.

Pecho manzanita grows around three feet tall. It has shiny dark reddish-barn bark with pale green leaves and white flowers. It grows in Chaparral and Closed-cone Pine Forest from Western San Luis Obispo county to Santa Barbra county


Arctostaphylos pilosula pilosula Atascadero Manzanita tolerates full sun, sand,and seasonal flooding.

Arctostaphylos pilosula pilosula, Atascadero ManzanitaAtascadero manzanita grows into a medium sized shrub.

Atascadero Manzanita grows 3 to 6 ft tall. It has shiny bright green leaves and white flowers. It grows great in sand. It is found in the Chaparral plant community around Atascadero, in San Luis Obispo county.


Arctostaphylos pilosula pismoensis, Wells' Manzanita

An upright gray manzanita.

Well's Manzanita has gray foliage, white flowers, and red bark. It is a very neat and tidy shrub growing from 3 to 6 ft tall. It grows around San Luis Obispo county in the Chaparral .

Arctostaphylos pumila tolerates full sun,and sand.

Arctostaphylos pumila, Dune Manzanita

Dune manzanita is a very low ground cover, 1-3ft tall, with pealing bark and flowers that vary from pink to white. It grows in sand in Closed-cone Pine Forest and Northern Coastal Sage Scrub around Monterey Bay, in Monterey county.


Arctostaphylos rudis Burton Beauty Manzanita tolerates full sun, part sun,and sand.

Arctostaphylos rudis, Burton Beauty Manzanita A very slow manzanita that grows in beach sand.

This beautiful cultivar has dark red shiny bark, dark green leaves, and large white flowers. It grows 3-6ft tall. It grows well in Chaparral and Coastal Sage Scrub.


Arctostaphylos rudis tolerates full sun, salt,and sand.

Arctostaphylos rudis, ShagBark Manzanita

ShagBark Manzanita grows 3 to 6 feet tall with reddish brown bark and bright green leaves. It also has a basal burl. It is found in Chaparral and Coastal Sage Scrub.


Arctostaphylos silvicola Ghostly Manzanita is great for a bird garden and a butterfly garden.

Arctostaphylos silvicola, Ghostly or Santa Cruz ManzanitaA big gray manzanita

Ghostly Manzanita has gray foliage with very dark bark and white flowers. Hummingbirds like it to. It makes a large shrub or small tree, 3-6ft tall. It is at home in Chaparral, and Yellow Pine Forest .


Arctostaphylos tomentosa tolerates full sun, part sun, sand,and deer.

Arctostaphylos tomentosa, Woollyleaf Manzanita A manzanita, to many. I think they named every stupid bush.

This is a grey fuzzy leaved manzanita with smooth red bark. New foliage is an attractive red. Woollyleaf manzanita grows in Chaparral, Closed-cone Pine Forest, and Coastal Sage Scrub of Cambria and up into the Bay area.


Arctostaphylos viscida ssp. viscida tolerates full sun.Arctostaphylos viscida viscidaA gray manzaita of the Sierras.

Whiteleaf Manzanita grows anywhere from three to twelve feet tall, with dark reddish brown bark, gray foliage, and pink to white flowers. It is found on dry slopes in the Chaparral, Southern Oak Woodland, and Yellow Pine Forest along the foothills of the Sierras from Kern county north and along the coast ranges from Lake county up into Oregon.

Copyright Las Pilitas Nursery 2001.