About Arctostaphylos auriculata Eastw.
Arctostaphylos auriculata Eastw., commonly called Mount Diablo manzanita, is a woody shrub that reaches 1 to 4.5 meters in height. Its stems grow on serpentine substrate, are glandless, and covered in white hair. The plant has short, silvery leaves that measure 1.5 to 4.5 centimeters long; these leaves overlap one another and have deeply lobed bases. It produces dense clusters of white flowers from February through May. Its fruit is small, measuring 5 to 10 millimeters across, and is also hairy. Unlike some other manzanitas, Mount Diablo manzanita does not form a basal burl for regrowth, so it must propagate via seed. This species grows in sandstone chaparral at elevations between 150 and 650 meters. It often forms thick undergrowth that is frequently accompanied by poison oak or California wild grapes.
