Arctostaphylos purissima

Arctostaphylos purissima is a rare species in the Ericaceae (Heath) family known by the common names La Purisima Manzanita or Lompoc Manzanita. It is endemic to a very small portion of western Santa Barbara County, California, near the City of Lompoc, site of Mission La Pursima Concepcion. It is a plant of the coastal chaparral on sandstone soils. This is a shrub reaching at least a meter in height and known to exceed four meters tall. It varies in shape from low and spreading to tall and erect. It is coated in long, white bristles and a dense foliage of shiny, hairless green leaves. Each leaf is round to oval in shape and smooth along the edges, and up to 2.5 centimeters long. The inflorescence is a hanging cluster of spherical to urn-shaped flowers each about half a centimeter long. It has a notably long flowering season. The fruit is a hairless drupe between one half and one centimeter wide. This is one of several Manzanita species that are unique to the central coast and it would make a nice addition to any coastal garden. Horticultural varieties known as ‘Vandenberg’ and ‘Petite Margarita’ are available that offer an especially compact shape.