Arctostaphylos rudis

Sand mesa manzanita, sand mesa manzanita, sand mesa manzanita

Family: Ericaceae · Type: shrub · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 1B.1

Sand mesa manzanita is a rare (CNPS 1B.1) California native shrub found in southern Central Coast and southern Southern California Coastal Ranges, including Nipomo, Burton mesas, Point Sal, southwestern San Luis Obispo, and northwestern Santa Barbara counties in sandy chaparral habitats at elevations below 380 meters. Flowering from November to February, this plant produces pale pink to white flowers in small, pendulous racemes. Growing erect to 1 to 3 meters tall with a prominent burled base, it features distinctive gray bark that shreds from older stems and bright green, shiny elliptical leaves 1 to 3 centimeters long. Its leaves are erect with wedge-shaped to rounded bases, entire margins, and acute tips, appearing puberulent when young and becoming glabrous with age. The fruit is a depressed-spheric berry 8 to 14 millimeters wide, with stones that may be variably fused or free.

Habitat: Sandy soils, chaparral

Bloom period: Nov-Feb

Elevation: < 380 m

Bioregions: s CCo, s SCoRO (Nipomo, Burton mesas, Point Sal, sw San Luis Obispo, nw Santa Barbara cos.).

California counties: Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, San Francisco

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