Taxon Report

Arctostaphylos edmundsii J.T. Howell

Little Sur manzanita

Print Report

Taxon Summary

Arctostaphylos edmundsii, commonly known as Little Sur manzanita, is a perennial evergreen shrub in the Ericaceae that is found only in California. It occurs within Chaparral, and Coastal bluff scrub, growing at elevations from 10 to 105 meters. Arctostaphylos edmundsii is ranked 1B.2, Plants Rare, Threatened or Endangered in California and Elsewhere; Moderately threatened in California.

Classification


Scientific Name:	Arctostaphylos edmundsii J.T. Howell
Common Name:	Little Sur manzanita
Family:	Ericaceae
Element Code:	PDERI04260
USDA Plants Symbol:	ARED
Synonyms/Other Names:	Arctostaphylos edmundsii J.T. Howell var. edmundsii Arctostaphylos edmundsii J.T. Howell var. parvifolia Roof

Ecology and Life History


Lifeform:	perennial evergreen shrub
Blooming Period: (May)Nov-Apr	(May)Nov-Apr
Elevation:	10-105 (35-345)
General Habitats:	Chaparral, Coastal bluff scrub
Microhabitat:	Sandy
Microhabitat Details:

Conservation Status


CA Rare Plant Rank:	1B.2
Global Rank:	G2
State Rank:	S2
State List:	None
Fed List:	None
Other Status:	SB_UCSC; USFS_S
CRPR Changes:

Occurrence Data from the CNDDB


Total Occurrences:	8
Element Occurrence Ranks:
Excellent (A)	2
Good (B)	3
Fair (C)	0
Poor (D)	0
None (X)	0
Unknown (U)	3

Location


California Endemic: True
California Counties and Islands: Name (Code)
Monterey (MNT)
Quads: Name (Quad Code)
Big Sur (3612137), Pfeiffer Point (3612127), Point Sur (3612138), Soberanes Point (3612148)

Threat List Data from the CNDDB


Threat List Total:	4
EOs with Threat Listed:	Total EOs	% of EOs
	6	75 %
Non-native plant impacts	4	50%
Erosion/runoff	3	37%
Foot traffic/trampling	3	37%
Road/trail construction/maint.	1	12%

Notes



Includes A. edmundsii var. parvifolia, which is state-listed Rare. See Leaflets of Western Botany 6(10):202 (1952) for original description and 9(12):188-196 (1961) for information.
Threats:
Threatened by foot traffic and non-native plants.
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 14 November 2025].