Arctostaphylos glutinosa
Schreiber's manzanita, Schreiber's manzanita, Schreiber's manzanita
(c) Dean Wm. Taylor, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Ericaceae · Type: Shrub · Native
Conservation status: CNPS 1B.2
Arctostaphylos glutinosa (Schreiber's manzanita) is a native California shrub in the Ericaceae family.
Schreiber's manzanita is a rare (CNPS 1B.2) California native shrub found in the southwestern San Francisco Bay Area, specifically on the northern Ben Lomond Mountain and northwestern Santa Cruz County, inhabiting siliceous shale outcrops, chaparral, and knobcone-pine woodland at elevations of 180 to 650 meters. Flowering from January to March, this plant produces white to pink flowers in pendulous panicles with delicate glandular-hairy branches. Growing one to two meters tall with erect stems, it displays soft-hairy twigs and distinctive gray-canescent foliage. Its leaves are oblong to oblong-ovate, two to five centimeters long, with a glaucous dull surface and slightly lobed base that clasps the stem. The fruit is a sticky, depressed-spheric structure seven to fourteen millimeters wide, covered in glandular and nonglandular hairs.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 0 sympatric species - geographically isolated
Habitat and range
Habitat: Siliceous shale outcrops, chaparral, knobcone-pine woodland
Elevation: 180-650 m
California counties: Santa Cruz, Monterey, Santa Clara
Bloom period
Arctostaphylos glutinosa blooms Jan-Mar.
Conservation status
CNPS 1B.2
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 glutinosa native to California?
Yes. Arctostaphylos glutinosa is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Arctostaphylos glutinosa bloom?
Arctostaphylos glutinosa blooms Jan-Mar.
Where in California does Arctostaphylos glutinosa grow?
Arctostaphylos glutinosa occurs in Santa Cruz, Monterey, Santa Clara, at elevations of 180-650 m.
What plant family does Arctostaphylos glutinosa belong to?
Arctostaphylos glutinosa is in the Ericaceae family, genus Arctostaphylos.
Is Arctostaphylos glutinosa rare or endangered?
Arctostaphylos glutinosa carries California Rare Plant Rank 1B.2, state rank S1.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
- Arctostaphylos hispidula — Howell's manzanita
- Arctostaphylos hookeri — Hooker's manzanita
- Arctostaphylos hookeri subsp. hearstiorum — Hearsts' manzanita
- Arctostaphylos hookeri subsp. hookeri — Hooker's manzanita
- Arctostaphylos hooveri — Hoover's manzanita
- Arctostaphylos imbricata — San bruno mountain 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.