About Arctostaphylos viridissima (Eastw.) Mc Minn
Arctostaphylos viridissima is a shrub that varies in both shape and size. It can grow as a matted bush around 1 metre (approximately 3 feet) tall, or develop into a spreading, treelike form that reaches over 4 metres (approximately 12 feet) in height. Its stem and branches are covered in peeling red bark, while its smaller twigs are woolly and bear long white bristles. The leaves are oval in shape, fuzzy when new, and become green and shiny when fully mature, reaching up to 3.5 cm long. The inflorescence is a dense cluster of the characteristic urn-shaped flowers of manzanitas. The fruit is a fuzzy drupe just over one centimeter wide.
