Data provided by the participants of the Consortium of California Herbaria

View additional distribution information on the Jepson eflora

Franciscan Manzanita (Arctostaphylos franciscana) is a rare native shrub. It is presumed to be native only to the immediate vicinity of San Francisco Bay and was presumed extinct for many years. It was formerly considered to be a subspecies of A. hookeri and some sources still refer to it that way.

Plant type

Shrub

Size

8 - 120 in Tall
10 ft Wide

Form

Mounding

Dormancy

Evergreen

Calscape icon
Color

Pink, White

Flowering season

Spring, Winter

Special uses

Hedge

Sun

Full Sun, Partial Shade

Water

Very Low, Low

Summer irrigation

Max 2x / month once established

Ease of care

Moderate

Cold tolerance

Tolerates cold to 15° F

Soil drainage

Fast, Medium, Slow

Soil description

.
Soil PH: 6.0 - 8.0

Maintenance

Manzanitas in general take light pruning well. Dead wood may be pruned at any time. Live stems should be pruned in dry season to prevent infection.

Propagation

Seeds or cuttings

Site type

The species' original natural setting is presumed to be bluffs and hills surrounding San Francisco Bay. However, it has been almost entirely extirpated from that area.

Plant communities

Northern Coastal Scrub

In its original habitat of northern coastal scrub, companions included Blueblossom (Ceanothus thyrsiflorus), Clarkia spp., Yerba Buena (Clinopodium douglasii), Bluff Lettuce (Dudleya farinosa), Seaside Fleabane (Erigeron glaucus), Seaside Buckwheat (Eriogonum latifolium), California Poppy (Eschscholzia californica), Coffeeberry (Frangula californica), Coast Silktassel (Garrya elliptica), Lupines (Lupinus spp.), and Sticky Monkeyflower (Diplacus aurantiacus). In cultivation it works well with many other plants.

Caterpillars
Butterflies

Butterflies and moths supported

0 confirmed and 34 likely

Confirmed Likely

Acronicta perdita

Miranda Underwing

Amphipyra pyramidoides

Orange Tortrix Moth

Argyrotaenia franciscana