Arctostaphylos confertiflora
Santa rosa island manzanita, Santa Rosa Island manzanita, Santa Rosa Island manzanita
(c) Stan Shebs, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · licence
Family: Ericaceae · Type: Shrub · Native
Conservation status: CNPS 1B.2 · Endangered
Arctostaphylos confertiflora (Santa rosa island manzanita) is a native California shrub in the Ericaceae family, recognized by prostrate habit, cupped leaves, and densely overlapped bracts.
Santa rosa island manzanita is a rare (CNPS 1B.2) California native shrub found in northern Channel Islands on Santa Rosa Island in maritime chaparral and sandstone outcrops at elevations below 500 meters. Flowering from February to March, this plant produces white to pink flowers in pendulous panicles with densely overlapping green bracts. Growing prostrate to mounded or erect, reaching 0.1 to 2 meters tall with densely hairy twigs that have both short nonglandular and long white glandular hairs. Its leaves are distinctive, with ovate to elliptic blades 4 to 6 centimeters long, light green, dull, and glandular-puberulent, featuring a wedge-shaped base and rounded or soft-pointed tip with cupped margins. The fruit is depressed-spheric, 8 to 11 millimeters wide, with stones that can be variably fused or free.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 8 sympatric species; distinguished by prostrate habit, cupped leaves, and densely overlapped bracts
Habitat and range
Habitat: Sandstone outcrops, maritime chaparral
Elevation: < 500 m
California counties: Santa Barbara, San Francisco
Bloom period
Arctostaphylos confertiflora blooms Feb-Mar.
Conservation status
CNPS 1B.2 · Endangered
How to tell it apart
vs Arbutus: Arctostaphylos fruits are smooth and mealy; Arbutus fruits are bumpy and juicy.; vs Rhus: Arctostaphylos has simple evergreen leaves; Rhus has compound deciduous leaves.; vs Quercus: Arctostaphylos has urn-shaped flowers and berry-like fruits; Quercus has catkins and acorns.; vs Xylococcus: Arctostaphylos leaves are flat; Xylococcus leaves have margins rolled tightly under.; vs Heteromeles: Arctostaphylos has urn-shaped flowers; Heteromeles has flat white flower clusters.
Frequently asked questions
Is Arctostaphylos confertiflora native to California?
Yes. Arctostaphylos confertiflora is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Arctostaphylos confertiflora bloom?
Arctostaphylos confertiflora blooms Feb-Mar.
Where in California does Arctostaphylos confertiflora grow?
Arctostaphylos confertiflora occurs in Santa Barbara, San Francisco, at elevations of < 500 m.
What plant family does Arctostaphylos confertiflora belong to?
Arctostaphylos confertiflora is in the Ericaceae family, genus Arctostaphylos.
Is Arctostaphylos confertiflora rare or endangered?
Arctostaphylos confertiflora carries California Rare Plant Rank 1B.2, state rank S2.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
- Arctostaphylos crustacea — Brittle leaf manzanita
- Arctostaphylos crustacea subsp. crinita — Crinite manzanita
- Arctostaphylos crustacea subsp. crustacea
- Arctostaphylos crustacea subsp. eastwoodiana — Eastwood's brittle-leaf manzanita
- Arctostaphylos crustacea subsp. insulicola — Island manzanita
- Arctostaphylos crustacea subsp. rosei — Rose's manzanita
Sources: Jepson eFlora · CNPS Rare Plant Inventory · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos · CDFW CNDDB
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.