Arctostaphylos tomentosa subsp. daciticola

Dacite manzanita, Dacite Manzanita, dacite manzanita

Family: Ericaceae · Type: shrub · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 1B.1

Dacite manzanita is a rare (CNPS 1B.1) California native shrub found in southern Central Coast regions, specifically in the western Los Osos Valley of San Luis Obispo County, growing in chaparral at elevations of 200 to 300 meters. Flowering from December to March, this plant produces pale pink to white flowers in distinctive urn-shaped clusters that contrast beautifully with its smooth reddish bark. Growing as a dense, rounded shrub reaching 1 to 2 meters tall, it develops gnarled branches covered in a mix of short white hairs and soft tomentose surfaces. Its leaves are densely woolly on the undersides, creating a soft, gray-green appearance with oval to rounded shapes that provide texture and visual interest. The shrub's distinctive white-hairy twigs and tomentose foliage make it a unique and adaptable member of the California chaparral ecosystem.

Habitat: Chaparral

Bloom period: Dec-Mar

Elevation: 200-300 m

Bioregions: s CCo (w Los Osos Valley, San Luis Obispo Co.).

California counties: San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara

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