Little Sur manzanita
Arctostaphylos edmundsii
Last reviewed: August 2026
Light
full sun
Water
low
Size
6"–18" H × 48"–72" W
Bloom
Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar
Native to
CA
Pollinators
bees, hummingbirds
Before you buy
Your city may pay you to plant this
Cities and water utilities offer rebates for replacing lawn with native and water-wise plants. We track 431 programs across 44 states, each with a link to the provider and the date we last checked it.
Find rebates in your areaA low, mat-forming evergreen shrub with small, rounded leaves and smooth reddish bark on older stems. Clusters of small urn-shaped pink to white flowers appear in winter, followed by round berries.
Wildlife value
Host plant for brown elfin.
Winter flowers feed bees and hummingbirds when little else blooms, and the foliage hosts brown elfin butterfly caterpillars.
Common questions
- How much sun does Little Sur manzanita need?
- Little Sur manzanita grows best in full sun conditions.
- When does Little Sur manzanita bloom?
- Little Sur manzanita blooms in December, January, February, and March.
- Where is Little Sur manzanita native?
- Little Sur manzanita (Arctostaphylos edmundsii) is native to CA, per the World Checklist of Vascular Plants (Kew).
- What butterflies or moths does Little Sur manzanita host?
- Little Sur manzanita is a larval host plant for brown elfin.
Native range data from the World Checklist of Vascular Plants (Kew). Pollinator and host plant associations compiled from GBIF, iNaturalist, and published ecological literature.
Ready to grow Little Sur manzanita? Add it to your garden in Pollinator Patch to track it and get season-by-season care guidance.
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