Arctostaphylos nummularia subsp. mendocinoensis

Pygmy manzanita, Pygmy Manzanita, pygmy manzanita

Family: Ericaceae · Type: shrub · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 1B.2

Pygmy manzanita is a rare (CNPS 1B.2) California native shrub found in central coastal Mendocino County in pygmy pine forest and chaparral at elevations of 50 to 200 meters. Flowering from March to May, this plant produces small flowers with subtle white to pink coloration. Growing prostrate to mounded, it spreads 10 to 50 centimeters tall with distinctive red-gray bark that becomes rough and shredding with age. Its small leaves are oblong-elliptic, 5 to 12 millimeters long with rounded to wedge-shaped bases, creating a compact and delicate appearance. The plant's low-growing, spreading form makes it uniquely adapted to its coastal Mendocino habitat.

Habitat: Pygmy pine forest, chaparral

Bloom period: Mar-May

Elevation: 50-200 m

Bioregions: c NCo (Mendocino Co.).

California counties: Mendocino

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