Arctostaphylos nummularia is a species of manzanita known by the common name glossyleaf manzanita. It is endemic to California, where it grows in the forests of the coastal and inland ranges north of the San Francisco Bay. This is a red-barked shrub reaching a maximum height up to five meters. The smaller twigs are covered lightly in white hairy bristles. The leaves are oval-shaped to nearly round, one to two centimeters long and wide. The edges are very finely toothed to nearly smooth, lined with tiny bristles, and sometimes curled under. The upper surface of the leaf is darker green and shinier than the underside. The flower cluster holds a cluster of hanging flowers, which are spherical and white to pink-tinged. The fruit is a cylindrical drupe less than half a centimeter long containing a few seeds.
There are two subspecies; ssp. mendocinoensis (Pygmy Manzanita) was formerly considered a separate species. It is now considered a subspecies of nummularia but rare due to its extremely restricted range, a tiny population on the coast between Ft. Bragg and Albion. As a garden plant it may be difficult unless you can replicate conditions from its native area.