Arctostaphylos stanfordiana
Stanford's manzanita
(c) Alan Rockefeller, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Alan Rockefeller · licence
Family: Ericaceae · Type: Shrub · Native
Arctostaphylos stanfordiana (Stanford's manzanita) is a native California shrub in the Ericaceae family, recognized by . Limited bioregion data available.
Stanford's manzanita is a California native shrub found in chaparral and woodland habitats at moderate elevations. Flowering from February to April, this plant produces pink to white urn-shaped flowers in delicate panicle clusters. Growing with distinctive reddish-brown bark and erect branches 1 to 2 meters tall, it forms an elegant woodland specimen. Its bright green to slightly bluish-green leaves are elliptic to oblanceolate, measuring 3 to 5 centimeters long with smooth edges and a wedge-shaped base. The fruit develops as a smooth, depressed-spheric structure approximately 6 to 8 millimeters wide.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: Geographically isolated. Limited bioregion data available
Habitat and range
California counties: Mendocino, Lake, Del Norte, Napa, Humboldt, Sonoma, Madera, San Francisco, Lassen, Colusa, Trinity, Tehama, Los Angeles
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 stanfordiana native to California?
Yes. Arctostaphylos stanfordiana is native to California (recorded as native).
Where in California does Arctostaphylos stanfordiana grow?
Arctostaphylos stanfordiana occurs in Mendocino, Lake, Del Norte, Napa, Humboldt, Sonoma, Madera, San Francisco and other counties.
What plant family does Arctostaphylos stanfordiana belong to?
Arctostaphylos stanfordiana is in the Ericaceae family, genus Arctostaphylos.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
- Arctostaphylos stanfordiana subsp. decumbens — Rincon ridge manzanita
- Arctostaphylos stanfordiana subsp. raichei — Raiche's manzanita
- Arctostaphylos stanfordiana subsp. stanfordiana
- Arctostaphylos tomentosa — Woolly leaf manzanita
- Arctostaphylos tomentosa subsp. bracteosa
- Arctostaphylos tomentosa subsp. daciticola — Dacite 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.