Arctostaphylos tomentosa subsp. tomentosa
Family: Ericaceae · Type: shrub · Native
Arctostaphylos tomentosa subspecies tomentosa is a California native shrub found in central coastal California, specifically in Monterey and San Luis Obispo counties, inhabiting chaparral and closed-cone conifer forests at elevations of 10 to 500 meters. Flowering from December to March, this plant produces small, urn-shaped white to pink flowers in dense clusters. Growing as a spreading shrub with woody branches 1 to 2 meters tall, it has grayish-white twigs that are sparsely covered in short, soft hairs. Its leaves are distinctively woolly on the undersides, creating a soft, felt-like texture with oval to rounded shapes approximately 2 to 5 centimeters long. The shrub forms dense, intricate branching patterns characteristic of its manzanita genus, with smooth reddish bark visible between the tomentose (woolly) foliage.
Habitat: Chaparral, closed-cone conifer forest
Bloom period: Dec-Mar
Elevation: 10-500 m
Bioregions: c&s CCo (Monterey, San Luis Obispo cos.).
California counties: Monterey, Santa Cruz, San Luis Obispo, San Mateo, 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.