Arctostaphylos viscida
Sticky whiteleaf manzanita
(c) John Hibbard, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Ericaceae · Type: Shrub / Tree · Native
Arctostaphylos viscida (Sticky whiteleaf manzanita) is a native California shrub / tree in the Ericaceae family, recognized by no sympatric species.
Sticky whiteleaf manzanita is a California native shrub found in mountain and foothill regions, typically growing at elevations between 500 to 1,500 meters in chaparral and conifer woodland habitats. Flowering from January to March, this plant produces white to pink urn-shaped flowers in dense, erect to pendulous clusters with distinctively glandular-sticky branches. Growing as an upright shrub 1 to 3 meters tall with smooth, reddish bark and stiff branching, it develops a distinctive architectural form with multiple stems. Its leaves are thick and leathery, 2 to 5 centimeters long, ovate to nearly round, with a white-glaucous surface that gives the plant its distinctive pale appearance and entire leaf margins. The fruit is a sticky, depressed-spheric drupe approximately 6 to 8 millimeters wide, characteristic of the manzanita genus.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: Geographically isolated based on county data; no sympatric species
Habitat and range
California counties: Mendocino, Tulare, Kern, Tuolumne, Shasta, Sonoma, Merced, Siskiyou, El Dorado, Napa, Lake, Placer, Calaveras, Madera, Mariposa, Amador, Nevada, Fresno, San Benito, Colusa, Tehama, Glenn, Butte, Plumas, Trinity, Del Norte, Humboldt, Lassen, Riverside, Sierra, Yuba
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 viscida native to California?
Yes. Arctostaphylos viscida is native to California (recorded as native).
Where in California does Arctostaphylos viscida grow?
Arctostaphylos viscida occurs in Mendocino, Tulare, Kern, Tuolumne, Shasta, Sonoma, Merced, Siskiyou and other counties.
What plant family does Arctostaphylos viscida belong to?
Arctostaphylos viscida is in the Ericaceae family, genus Arctostaphylos.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
- Arctostaphylos viscida subsp. mariposa — Mariposa manzanita
- Arctostaphylos viscida subsp. pulchella
- Arctostaphylos viscida subsp. viscida
- Arctostaphylos andersonii — Anderson's manzanita
- Arctostaphylos auriculata — Mount diablo manzanita
- Arctostaphylos bakeri — Baker's manzanita
- Cassiope mertensiana — White heather
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.