Arctostaphylos montereyensis

Toro manzanita, Toro Manzanita, Toro manzanita, Toro manzanita

Family: Ericaceae · Type: shrub · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 1B.2

Toro manzanita is a rare (CNPS 1B.2) California native shrub found in central California Coast and northern southern Coastal Ranges, specifically at Fort Ord and Mount Toro in Monterey County, in chaparral on sandstone soils at elevations below 350 meters. Flowering from January to March, this plant produces pale pink to white flowers in pendant panicle clusters with distinctive glandular-hairy branches. Growing erect and 1 to 3 meters tall with bright green to slightly glaucous branches, it develops a distinctive glandular-hairy structure. Its leaves are erect and round to oblong-ovate, 2 to 3 centimeters long, with a rounded or truncate base and an abruptly soft-pointed tip, appearing scabrous and papillate. The fruit is sticky and depressed-spheric, 8 to 12 millimeters wide with stones that may be variably fused or free.

Habitat: Sandstone soils (stabilized dunes), chaparral

Bloom period: Jan-Mar

Elevation: < 350 m

Bioregions: c CCo (Fort Ord), n SCoRO (Mount Toro, nw Monterey Co.).

California counties: Monterey, San Luis Obispo

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