Arctostaphylos silvicola
Bonny doon manzanita, Bonny Doon Manzanita, Bonny Doon manzanita, Bonny Doon manzanita
(c) Dean Wm. Taylor, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Ericaceae · Type: Shrub · Native
Conservation status: CNPS 1B.2
Arctostaphylos silvicola (Bonny doon manzanita) is a native California shrub in the Ericaceae family, recognized by gray dull leaves that become glaucous with age.
Bonny doon manzanita is a rare (CNPS 1B.2) California native shrub found in the southwestern Santa Cruz Mountains sandhills in Santa Cruz County, inhabiting weathered sandstone soils in chaparral and conifer forest at elevations below 600 meters. Flowering from February to March, this plant produces pale pink to white flowers in pendulous racemes with delicate, leaf-like bracts. Growing 1 to 3 meters tall with erect stems covered in soft, non-glandular hairs, it develops a distinctive gray-green foliage. Its leaves are narrowly obovate, 1.5 to 3.5 centimeters long, with a wedge-shaped base and obtuse tip, appearing appressed-canescent when young and becoming glaucous with age. The fruit is a smooth, spherical drupe 6 to 12 millimeters wide, containing stones that may be variably fused or separate.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: Geographically isolated; gray dull leaves that become glaucous with age
Habitat and range
Habitat: Weathered sandstone soils in chaparral, conifer forest
Elevation: < 600 m
California counties: Santa Cruz, Santa Clara, Monterey
Bloom period
Arctostaphylos silvicola blooms Feb-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 silvicola native to California?
Yes. Arctostaphylos silvicola is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Arctostaphylos silvicola bloom?
Arctostaphylos silvicola blooms Feb-Mar.
Where in California does Arctostaphylos silvicola grow?
Arctostaphylos silvicola occurs in Santa Cruz, Santa Clara, Monterey, at elevations of < 600 m.
What plant family does Arctostaphylos silvicola belong to?
Arctostaphylos silvicola is in the Ericaceae family, genus Arctostaphylos.
Is Arctostaphylos silvicola rare or endangered?
Arctostaphylos silvicola carries California Rare Plant Rank 1B.2, state rank S1.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
- Arctostaphylos sp. — Manzanita
- Arctostaphylos stanfordiana — Stanford's manzanita
- Arctostaphylos stanfordiana subsp. decumbens — Rincon ridge manzanita
- Arctostaphylos stanfordiana subsp. raichei — Raiche's manzanita
- Arctostaphylos stanfordiana subsp. stanfordiana
- Arctostaphylos tomentosa — Woolly leaf manzanita
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.