Arctostaphylos luciana
Santa lucia manzanita, Santa Lucia Manzanita, Santa Lucia manzanita, Santa Lucia manzanita
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Family: Ericaceae · Type: Shrub · Native
Conservation status: CNPS 1B.2
Arctostaphylos luciana (Santa lucia manzanita) is a native California shrub in the Ericaceae family, recognized by overlapping clasping leaves with gray-canescent coating diagnostic.
Santa lucia manzanita is a rare (CNPS 1B.2) California native shrub found in the southern Coast Ranges near San Luis Obispo County, specifically southeast of Cuesta Pass, growing on shale outcrops and slopes in coastal upland chaparral at elevations of 100 to 800 meters. Flowering from January to March, this plant produces pale pink to white flowers in small, pendulous racemes with leaf-like bracts. Growing as a small shrub or tree 2 to 3 meters tall with sparsely hairy twigs, it forms a distinctive rounded shape with multiple stems. Its leaves are ovate to nearly round, 2 to 4 centimeters long, with a glaucous blue-gray surface that becomes smooth with age, clasping at the base and featuring an obtuse tip with entire margins. The fruit is a depressed spherical berry 6 to 12 millimeters wide, with stones that may be variably fused or free.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 18 sympatric species; overlapping clasping leaves with gray-canescent coating diagnostic
Habitat and range
Habitat: Shale outcrops, slopes, upland chaparral near coast
Elevation: 100-800 m
California counties: San Luis Obispo, San Francisco
Bloom period
Arctostaphylos luciana 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 luciana native to California?
Yes. Arctostaphylos luciana is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Arctostaphylos luciana bloom?
Arctostaphylos luciana blooms Jan-Mar.
Where in California does Arctostaphylos luciana grow?
Arctostaphylos luciana occurs in San Luis Obispo, San Francisco, at elevations of 100-800 m.
What plant family does Arctostaphylos luciana belong to?
Arctostaphylos luciana is in the Ericaceae family, genus Arctostaphylos.
Is Arctostaphylos luciana rare or endangered?
Arctostaphylos luciana carries California Rare Plant Rank 1B.2, state rank S2.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
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.