Description

Arctostaphylos pallida, commonly known as Pallid Manzanita, Oakland Hills Manzanita, and Alameda Manzanita, is an upright shrub from the Ericaceae, or heath, family. It grows to around 6 to 13 feet. high. The branches on the shrub are reddish or grayish (more reddish) and they have twigs that tend to be bristly. The ovate to triangular leaves are bristly, strongly overlapping and clasping. They are 1.0 to 1.8 inch long and 0.8 to 1.2 inch wide. The dense, white flowers are urn-shaped and 0.2 to 0.3 inch long. The flowering period is from November to March. A. pallida commonly co-occurs with another manzanita species, Brittle Leaf Manzanita (Arctostaphylos tomentosa ssp. crustacea), but the latter is a burl-forming species with spreading leaves. A. pallida does not form burls. It does best in full sun, attracting hummingbirds and bees. Does well on ridges and slopes. It has red-orange peeling bark.