Arctostaphylos crustacea subsp. eastwoodiana

Eastwood's brittle-leaf manzanita, Eastwood's Brittle-Leaf Manzanita, Eastwood's brittle-leaf manzanita

Family: Ericaceae · Type: shrub · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 1B.1

Eastwood's brittle-leaf manzanita is a rare (CNPS 1B.1) California native shrub found in southern Central Coast and Southern Coastal Ranges in northwestern Santa Barbara County, inhabiting chaparral and closed-cone conifer forest at elevations below 650 meters. Flowering from February to April, this plant produces pale pink to white flowers in small clusters with distinctive urn-shaped blossoms. Growing as a compact shrub 1 to 2 meters tall with densely hairy twigs and smooth, reddish bark, it develops a sturdy branching structure. Its leathery leaves are smooth and glabrous on the underside, with a distinctive brittle texture that gives the subspecies its name. The shrub forms dense, intricate branching patterns characteristic of manzanita species in coastal California habitats.

Habitat: Chaparral, closed-cone conifer forest

Bloom period: Feb-Apr

Elevation: < 650 m

Bioregions: s CCo/SCoRO (nw Santa Barbara Co.).

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.