Ericaceae

Arctostaphylos canescens

Hoary Manzanita

Upright shrub without burl. Twigs and fruit densely covered with short soft hairs and often glands. Leaves erect, on petioles about 1/3 in. long, blade round to egg-shaped, tip sharp or softly pointed, both sides with same surface, with short hairs or white powdery wax. Inflorescence single-stemmed or 1- to 4-branched, bracts leaf-like, lance-shaped. Flower bell-shaped, white to pale pink. Fruit with white hairs. Grows on hills, ridges, slopes, with chaparral or in forests, at low to mid-elevations. Manzanita without burls do not resprout after fire, while those with burls do.

• Rarity: Locally Common
• Flowering Time: Mid Spring
• Life Cycle: Perennial
• Height: 1--6 feet
• Habitat: West-Side Forest
• Found In:
• Native: Yes