Data provided by the participants of the Consortium of California Herbaria

View additional distribution information on the Jepson eflora

Arctostaphylos columbiana is a species of manzanita known by the common name hairy manzanita. It is native to the coast of western North America from northern California to British Columbia. This large manzanita is a treelike shrub occasionally reaching heights of up to ten meters. It is erect with hairy branches, the smaller twigs bearing long bristles tipped with sticky glands. The leaves are oval-shaped and may be 6 centimeters long and 3 wide, dull green, fuzzy, and hairy on both surfaces. The small, white, urn-shaped flowers are borne in bunched flower clusters. The fruit is a red drupe about a centimeter in diameter. The seed requires either fire or consumption by animals in order for germination to occur. This manzanita grows in forested areas and has been known to become a weed on Christmas tree farms.

Plant type

Shrub

Size

6 - 33 ft Tall

Growth rate

Slow

Dormancy

Evergreen

Calscape icon
Color

White, Green, Red

Flowering season

Spring, Winter

Sun

Partial Shade

Water

Very Low

Soil drainage

Fast

Soil description

Adaptable, tolerant of sand, loam and clay.

Sunset Zones

4, 5, 7, 14, 15, 16, 17

Site type

Rocky slopes

Plant communities

Douglas-Fir Forest, Mixed Evergreen Forest, Northern Coastal Scrub, Forest

Hummingbirds
Birds
Bees
Caterpillars
Butterflies

Butterflies and moths supported

2 confirmed and 49 likely

Confirmed Likely

Mesogona Rubra

Mesogona rubra

Trichoptilus pygmaeus

Acronicta perdita

Aethaloida packardaria