Arctostaphylos crustacea subsp. insulicola

Island manzanita, Island Manzanita, island manzanita

Family: Ericaceae · Type: shrub · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 4.2

Island manzanita is a rare (CNPS 4.2) California native shrub found in the northern Channel Islands including Santa Cruz and Santa Rosa islands in chaparral and conifer forest at elevations of 5 to 700 meters. Flowering from February to April, this plant produces white to pink urn-shaped flowers in clusters that emerge from densely hairy twigs. Growing as a compact shrub 1 to 2 meters tall with smooth, reddish-brown bark that peels in thin layers, it develops a distinctive branching structure. Its leathery, dark green leaves are oval to rounded, 2 to 5 centimeters long, with short hairs on the lower surface that give a soft, fuzzy appearance. The fruit is a sticky, white to pinkish drupe typical of manzanita species, clustered in small groups along the branches.

Habitat: Chaparral, conifer forest

Bloom period: Feb-Apr

Elevation: 5-700 m

Bioregions: n ChI (Santa Cruz, Santa Rosa islands).

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