Pecho manzanita facts for kids

The Pecho manzanita (scientific name: Arctostaphylos pechoensis) is a special kind of manzanita plant. It is found only in California, which means it is endemic to that state. You can find it in the Pecho Hills, which are southwest of San Luis Obispo in San Luis Obispo County, California.

Where Does It Live?

This plant grows in two main types of natural areas. One is the chaparral, which is a scrubland with tough, woody plants. The other is a coastal coniferous forest. These forests have trees like pines and firs.

What Does It Look Like?

The Pecho manzanita is a large shrub. It usually grows at least 2 meters (about 6.5 feet) tall. Some can even grow taller than 5 meters (over 16 feet)!

Its smaller branches feel a bit fuzzy. They are covered with long, white, woolly hairs. The plant has many leaves that grow close together. These leaves are shaped like ovals. Their edges can be smooth, slightly jagged, or have small teeth. The leaves often overlap each other.

The flowers of the Pecho manzanita grow in clusters. These clusters are shaped like cones. Each flower is about 7 millimeters (about 0.27 inches) long. The plant also produces fruit. This fruit is a red drupe, which means it's a fleshy fruit with a hard pit inside, like a cherry. It is about 1 centimeter (about 0.4 inches) wide and has little to no hair on it.