Data provided by the participants of the Consortium of California Herbaria

View additional distribution information on the Jepson eflora

Arctostaphylos viscida is a species in the Ericaceae (Heath) family known by the common names whiteleaf manzanita and sticky manzanita. This is a treelike shrub reaching up to five meters in height. The stems may be smooth or fuzzy, and are often hairy. The leaves are rounded to oval, sometimes slightly toothed or with hairs along the edges, and usually dull green on both surfaces. When in flower the shrub is packed heavily with densely bunching flower clusters of urn-shaped white to pale pink flowers. The fruits are shiny red or greenish-brown drupes between one half and one centimeter wide. Seeds require fire for germination. This is a plant of chaparral and coniferous forests of 3,000-5,000 ft. elevation. It is native to California and Oregon. The Miwok of northern California used the fruits to make cider.

Plant type

Shrub

Size

8 - 16 ft Tall
12 ft Wide

Form

Mounding, Rounded

Growth rate

Moderate

Dormancy

Evergreen

Fragrance

Slight

Calscape icon
Color

Pink, White, Green

Flowering season

Winter, Spring

Sun

Full Sun, Partial Shade

Water

Low, Very Low

Summer irrigation

Max 2x / month once established

Ease of care

Moderate

Cold tolerance

Tolerates cold to 0° F

Soil drainage

Fast, Medium, Slow

Soil description

Tolerates a variety of soils including clay and decomposed granite. Tolerates serpentine soil..
Soil PH: 6.0 - 7.8

Propagation

By seed or cuttings

Site type

Rocky slopes of the Sierra foothills, Klamath Range, and northern portion of the Coast Ranges

Plant communities

Chaparral, Foothill Woodland, Yellow Pine Forest

In the wild it grows with Gray Pine (Pinus sabiniana), California Ash (Fraxinus dipetala), Holly-leaf Redberry (Rhamnus ilicifolia), Fragrant Sumac (Rhus aromatica), Interior Live Oak (Quercus Wislizenii), Mountain Mahogany (Cercocarpus betuloides), Buck Brush (Ceanothus cuneatus), Blue Oak (Quercus douglasii), Ponderosa Pine (Pinus ponderosa), and Incense Cedar (Libocedrus decurrens).

Hummingbirds
Bats
Birds
Bees
Caterpillars
Butterflies

Butterflies and moths supported

1 confirmed and 55 likely

Confirmed Likely

Coleophora glaucella

Acronicta perdita

Aethaloida packardaria