woodland shrub
Common Manzanita
Arctostaphylos manzanita
1 of 2Native to California
California Coast Ranges and Sierra Nevada foothills
- Light Partial shade Sun tolerance
- Moisture Dry Moisture preference
- Zones 6–10 Cold to heat range
- Bloom Feb–Apr Flowering time
- Height up to 25 ft to 7.6 m
- Life cycle Perennial Annual to perennial
In the garden
A woodland shrub for partial shade and lean, dry soil. At up to 25 ft, it needs room in shade gardens and woodland edges. Hardy in USDA zones 6–10.
Growing conditions
Light
Full sun Partial shade Full shade
Moisture
Dry Moist Wet
Hardiness zones
Find your zone:
Pollinators & wildlife
- Butterflies Monarch
also Red Admiral, Fiery Skipper, Painted Lady +7 more
Gray Hairstreak, Mourning Cloak, California Tortoiseshell, West Coast Lady, American Red Admiral, Margined White, Danaus plexippus plexippus - Bees Yellow-faced Bumble Bee also Black-tailed Bumble Bee
- Wasps Western Yellowjacket also Prairie Yellowjacket
Butterflies that use this plant
Documented host and nectar records. Each links to a planting guide for that butterfly.
- Fiery skippernectar
- Gray hairstreaknectar
- Monarch butterflynectar
- Mourning cloaknectar
- Painted ladynectar
- Red admiralnectar
Full plant details
Where it grows
- Habitat
- WoodlandThe wild plant community it grows in.
- Native range
- CaliforniaUnited States (1): CA. Where it grows wild on its own, by state and province.
- Native distribution
- California Coast Ranges and Sierra Nevada foothillsThe same native range, usually more exact than the state list, and often noting where it has spread beyond it.
Growing conditions
- Light
- Partial shadeHow much sun it takes, from full sun to full shade.
- Moisture
- DryThe soil dampness it prefers, from dry to wet.
- Hardiness zones
- USDA 6–10The cold-to-heat climate range it survives.
- Soil
- Dry soilsThe soils it grows in naturally.
- Soil texture
- Light to medium (sandy to loamy)The soil grade it prefers, from sand to clay.
- Soil pH
- 5.5–7.3The acidity to alkalinity it tolerates (7 is neutral).
- Soil quality
- LowHow rich a soil it needs. Many natives prefer lean soil and flop in rich beds.
- Water use
- LowHow thirsty it is, a rough guide to how often to water.
- Salinity tolerance
- NoneHow well it copes with salty soil, near roads or the coast.
- Lime (CaCO₃) tolerance
- MediumHow well it copes with chalky, lime-rich soil.
Growth & form
- Height
- up to 25 ft (to 7.6 m)Typical mature height.
- Spread
- ~7 ft (2 m)How wide one plant gets, a guide to spacing.
- Life cycle
- PerennialWhether it lives a single season (annual), two (biennial), or returns for years (perennial).
- Growth rate
- SlowA relative ranking versus other plants of the same type (USDA), not an absolute rate.
- Shape
- Semi-ErectIts overall silhouette.
- Root depth
- 20+ in (51+ cm)How far the roots reach, a guide to drought resilience and transplanting.
Flowers, foliage & fruit
- Type
- ShrubWhat kind of plant it is.
- Bloom
- Feb–AprWhen it flowers.
- Flower color
- White, PinkThe bloom color, or colors.
- Toxicity
- None knownWhether any part is poisonous to people or pets.
Propagation & seed
- Cold stratification
- Required (cold, moist)Whether seed needs a cold, moist spell before it will germinate.
- Propagation
- Bare root, container, seedHow to start new plants.
- Seed
- ~0.0 million seeds per poundNotes on the seed and how to sow it.
- Seed spread rate
- SlowHow readily it self-sows. Slow or none means well-behaved, not a spreader.
- Seedling vigor
- LowHow strongly young seedlings establish.
- Vegetative spread
- NoneWhether it creeps outward or stays put in a clump.