Arctostaphylos regismontana
Kings mountain manzanita, Kings Mountain Manzanita, Kings Mountain manzanita, Kings Mountain manzanita
(c) Tom Field, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Ericaceae · Type: Shrub · Native
Conservation status: CNPS 1B.2
Arctostaphylos regismontana (Kings mountain manzanita) is a native California shrub in the Ericaceae family, recognized by distinctive boat-shaped leaves with upcurved tips and sticky surfaces.
Kings mountain manzanita is a rare (CNPS 1B.2) California native shrub found in western San Francisco Bay region in the northern Santa Cruz Mountains on granite and sandstone outcrops, in chaparral and conifer forest edges at elevations of 150 to 780 meters. Flowering from January to March, this plant produces pale pink to white flowers in pendant panicles with glandular-hairy branches. Growing as an erect shrub 2 to 5 meters tall with distinctively glandular-sticky twigs, it develops a complex branching structure. Its leaves are oblong-ovate, 3 to 6 centimeters long, pale green and boat-shaped, with a clasping base and upcurved acute tip, becoming less hairy as they age. The fruit is a sticky, depressed-spheric structure 6 to 8 millimeters wide, with stones that may be variably fused or separate.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 19 sympatric species; distinctive boat-shaped leaves with upcurved tips and sticky surfaces
Habitat and range
Habitat: Granite, sandstone outcrops, edge of conifer forest, chaparral
Elevation: 150-780 m
California counties: San Mateo, Santa Cruz, Alameda
Bloom period
Arctostaphylos regismontana 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 regismontana native to California?
Yes. Arctostaphylos regismontana is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Arctostaphylos regismontana bloom?
Arctostaphylos regismontana blooms Jan-Mar.
Where in California does Arctostaphylos regismontana grow?
Arctostaphylos regismontana occurs in San Mateo, Santa Cruz, Alameda, at elevations of 150-780 m.
What plant family does Arctostaphylos regismontana belong to?
Arctostaphylos regismontana is in the Ericaceae family, genus Arctostaphylos.
Is Arctostaphylos regismontana rare or endangered?
Arctostaphylos regismontana 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.