Data provided by the participants of the Consortium of California Herbaria

View additional distribution information on the Jepson eflora

Arctostaphylos pumila is a species of manzanita known by the common name Sandmat Manzanita. This shrub is endemic to California where it grows on the coastline near Monterey. This is a petite, low-lying manzanita which forms flat bushes and patchy, creeping mats in sandy soil. The branch tips will take root as it spreads. The bark is reddish and tends not to shred. The leaves are small and mainly oval-shaped, dark green on the upper surface and grayish and fuzzy beneath. The flowers appear in sparse flower clusters and are white to very pale pink. The fruit is a round brownish drupe about half a centimeter wide. In the wild this plant derives a lot of moisture from fog but does not like salt spray directly on it.

Plant type

Shrub

Size

2 - 5 ft Tall
5 ft Wide

Form

Spreading

Growth rate

Moderate

Dormancy

Evergreen

Fragrance

None

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Color

Pink, White

Flowering season

Spring, Winter

Special uses

Groundcover, Hedge

Sun

Full Sun, Partial Shade

Water

Very Low

Summer irrigation

Max 2x / month once established

Ease of care

Moderate

Cold tolerance

Tolerates cold to 30° F

Soil drainage

Fast, Medium, Slow

Soil description

Reportedly can tolerate clay soil. Tolerates saline soil..
Soil PH: 5.0 - 7.0

Maintenance

Prune as needed to control height and spread

Propagation

Rooted cuttings

Site type

Dunes, sea bluffs and other sandy places, mostly along the immediate coast of Monterey and Santa Cruz Counties

Plant communities

Chaparral, Closed-cone Pine Forest, Coastal Strand, Northern Coastal Scrub

Bats
Caterpillars
Butterflies

Butterflies and moths supported

0 confirmed and 36 likely

Confirmed Likely

Aethaloida packardaria

Miranda Underwing

Amphipyra pyramidoides