Arctostaphylos pungens
Mexican manzanita
Photo by Chez Brungraber
Family: Ericaceae · Type: Shrub · Native
Arctostaphylos pungens (Mexican manzanita) is a native California shrub in the Ericaceae family, recognized by club-like pendant inflorescence and bright green narrow leaves.
Mexican manzanita is a California native shrub found in southern Coast Ranges, San Bernardino Mountains, Peninsular Ranges, and eastern Desert Mountains in rocky slopes, chaparral, and conifer forest at elevations of 180 to 2,300 meters. Flowering from February to March, this plant produces white to pink urn-shaped flowers in pendant, club-like clusters. Growing as an erect shrub 1 to 3 meters tall with smooth, reddish stems that become glabrous with age, it develops a distinctive branching structure. Its leaves are elliptic to lance-elliptic, 1.5 to 4 centimeters long, bright or dark green, shiny, and initially tomentose before becoming smooth, with entire margins and acute tips. The fruit is a depressed-spheric berry 5 to 8 millimeters wide with variably fused stones.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 28 sympatric species; club-like pendant inflorescence and bright green narrow leaves
Habitat and range
Habitat: Rocky slopes, ridges, chaparral, conifer forest
Elevation: 180-2300 m
California counties: San Bernardino, San Diego, Riverside, Kern, Santa Barbara, San Benito, Ventura, Los Angeles, San Luis Obispo, Monterey, Tulare, Humboldt, Marin, Fresno, Inyo, San Francisco, El Dorado
Outside California: to Utah, Texas, Mexico
Bloom period
Arctostaphylos pungens blooms Feb-Mar.
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 pungens native to California?
Yes. Arctostaphylos pungens is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Arctostaphylos pungens bloom?
Arctostaphylos pungens blooms Feb-Mar.
Where in California does Arctostaphylos pungens grow?
Arctostaphylos pungens occurs in San Bernardino, San Diego, Riverside, Kern, Santa Barbara, San Benito, Ventura, Los Angeles and other counties, at elevations of 180-2300 m.
What plant family does Arctostaphylos pungens belong to?
Arctostaphylos pungens is in the Ericaceae family, genus Arctostaphylos.
What habitat does Arctostaphylos pungens grow in?
Arctostaphylos pungens grows in Rocky slopes, ridges, chaparral, conifer forest.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
- Arctostaphylos purissima — La purisima manzanita
- Arctostaphylos purissima subsp. globosa — Globose manzanita
- Arctostaphylos purissima subsp. purissima — La purisima manzanita
- Arctostaphylos rainbowensis — Rainbow manzanita
- Arctostaphylos refugioensis — Refugio manzanita
- Arctostaphylos regismontana — Kings mountain manzanita
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
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.