Arctostaphylos franciscana
Franciscan manzanita, Franciscan Manzanita, Franciscan manzanita, Franciscan manzanita
(c) Pacific Southwest Region U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Ericaceae · Type: Shrub · Native
Conservation status: CNPS 1B.1 · Endangered
Arctostaphylos franciscana (Franciscan manzanita) is a native California shrub in the Ericaceae family, recognized by oblanceolate leaves and prostrate habit on serpentine.
Franciscan manzanita is a rare (CNPS 1B.1) California native shrub found in northern Central Coast regions of San Francisco in serpentine outcrops and chaparral at elevations below 300 meters. Flowering from January to April, this plant produces white to pink flowers in small, pendulous panicles. Growing prostrate to prostrate-mounded, reaching 0.2 to 1.5 meters tall with gray-tomentose twigs, it forms a low, spreading structure. Its bright green leaves are oblanceolate, 1.5 to 2 centimeters long, with a wedge-shaped base and acute tip, becoming smooth and glabrous with age. The fruit is a depressed-spheric structure 6 to 8 millimeters wide, with stones that may be variably fused or free.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 32 sympatric species; distinguished by oblanceolate leaves and prostrate habit on serpentine
Habitat and range
Habitat: Serpentine outcrops, chaparral
Elevation: < 300 m
California counties: San Francisco
Bloom period
Arctostaphylos franciscana blooms Jan-Apr.
Conservation status
CNPS 1B.1 · 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 franciscana native to California?
Yes. Arctostaphylos franciscana is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Arctostaphylos franciscana bloom?
Arctostaphylos franciscana blooms Jan-Apr.
Where in California does Arctostaphylos franciscana grow?
Arctostaphylos franciscana occurs in San Francisco, at elevations of < 300 m.
What plant family does Arctostaphylos franciscana belong to?
Arctostaphylos franciscana is in the Ericaceae family, genus Arctostaphylos.
Is Arctostaphylos franciscana rare or endangered?
Arctostaphylos franciscana carries California Rare Plant Rank 1B.1, state rank S1.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
- Arctostaphylos gabilanensis — Gabilan mountains manzanita
- Arctostaphylos glandulosa — Eastwood manzanita
- Arctostaphylos glandulosa subsp. adamsii
- Arctostaphylos glandulosa subsp. crassifolia — Del mar manzanita
- Arctostaphylos glandulosa subsp. cushingiana — Cushing manzanita
- Arctostaphylos glandulosa subsp. gabrielensis — San gabriel manzanita
Sources: Jepson eFlora · CNPS Rare Plant Inventory · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos · CDFW CNDDB
Last updated 2026-09-30
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.