Key to Marin Manzanitas
by Bruce Homer-Smith

Manzanitas have characteristic thick oval leaves, red bark, and bunches of tiny urn-shaped flowers. However, deciding which of the 8 prominent Marin manzanitas you’re looking at can be tricky, because differences are subtle and shrubs of the same species will vary based on water, soil, and sun exposure. The table below will help you consider several characteristics, which is generally required when identifying a Manzanita. I really like the process of feeling leaf surfaces, inspecting flower bases, looking for the burl, and considering location to arrive at my best guess. The more you do it, the better you’ll get.
Name	Location	Burl/Shape/Size	Leaves	Bracts at the base of flowers, Other
Eastwood Manzanita A.glandulosa	Common in Marin chaparral.	Burl at stem base. Bushy. Up to 8 feet tall.	Rigid and brittle feeling.	Small fuzzy leaves.
var. glandulosa			Glands at the end of hairs – sticky or sandpapery.
var. cushingiana			No glands – not sticky or sandpapery
Hoary Manzanita A.canescens	Not very common, found on south-facing sandstone slopes.	No burl. Fewer branches than Eastwood. Up to 8 feet.	Pale from white hair. Softer to the touch than Eastwood.	Medium-size fuzzy leaves that sometimes form a bell shape.
Shatterberry A.sensitiva	Fairly common on rocky ridges of Mt. Tam area.	No burl. Leaf cover often like a hedge. Up to 8 feet.	Dark, shiny green leaves. Underside paler and smoother.	Stems red; bract a red bump. Flower has only 4 petals.
Bearberry A.uva-ursi	Only on exposed ocean-facing slopes at Point Reyes.	No burl. Grows low to the ground, under 1 foot tall.	Dark green, shiny, small, thick and stiff. About 1” long.	Red and pink flowers.
Common Manzanita A.manzanita	Non-serpentine hills north of Kentfield and San Rafael.	No burl. Large - often grows tree height.	Oval and thick.	Small and scale-like.
Tamalpais Manzanita A.montana	Only on high serpentine slopes.	No burl. Mostly a low bushy shrub under 2 feet.	Smaller than Eastwood. Very short hairs. Not sandpapery.	Small brownish scales.
Marin Manzanita A.virgata	Uncommon on maritime chaparral ridges near Bishop Pine or Redwood.	No burl. Often twisted red stem. Often over 8 feet tall.	Long and thinner than other manzanitas. Shiny green, hairy. Rough, sticky.	Small sticky leaves at base of flower. Fruit is very sticky and bristly.