Taxon Report

Arctostaphylos montaraensis Roof

Montara manzanita

Print Report

Taxon Summary

Arctostaphylos montaraensis, commonly known as Montara manzanita, is a perennial evergreen shrub in the Ericaceae that is found only in California. It occurs within Chaparral (maritime), and Coastal scrub, growing at elevations from 80 to 500 meters. Arctostaphylos montaraensis is ranked 1B.2, Plants Rare, Threatened or Endangered in California and Elsewhere; Moderately threatened in California.

Classification


Scientific Name:	Arctostaphylos montaraensis Roof
Common Name:	Montara manzanita
Family:	Ericaceae
Element Code:	PDERI042W0
USDA Plants Symbol:	ARMO5
Synonyms/Other Names:

Ecology and Life History


Lifeform:	perennial evergreen shrub
Blooming Period: Jan-Mar	Jan-Mar
Elevation:	80-500 (260-1640)
General Habitats:	Chaparral, Coastal scrub
Microhabitat:
Microhabitat Details:

Conservation Status


CA Rare Plant Rank:	1B.2
Global Rank:	G1
State Rank:	S1
State List:	None
Fed List:	None
Other Status:	SB_CalBG/RSABG; SB_USDA
CRPR Changes:

Occurrence Data from the CNDDB


Total Occurrences:	4
Element Occurrence Ranks:
Excellent (A)	2
Good (B)	0
Fair (C)	1
Poor (D)	1
None (X)	0
Unknown (U)	0

Location


California Endemic: True
California Counties and Islands: Name (Code)
San Mateo (SMT)
Quads: Name (Quad Code)
Montara Mountain (3712254), San Francisco South (3712264)

Threat List Data from the CNDDB


Threat List Total:	7
EOs with Threat Listed:	Total EOs	% of EOs
	3	75 %
Improper burning regime	2	50%
Non-native plant impacts	2	50%
Road/trail construction/maint.	2	50%
Wood cutting or brush clearing	1	25%
Other	1	25%
Erosion/runoff	1	25%
Foot traffic/trampling	1	25%

Notes



See Four Seasons 2(3):8 (1967) for original description.
Threats:
Threatened by development and vehicles.
Taxonomy:

Selected References

Citation California Native Plant Society, Rare Plant Program. 2025. Rare Plant Inventory (online edition, v9.5.1). Website https://www.rareplants.cnps.org [accessed 29 October 2025].