Plants killed by fire; burl absent; twigs glandular-hairy. Leaf blades dull green, not glaucous, scabrous, glandular-hairy. Inflorescences: axis 1 mm diam. Ovaries glabrous. Fruits glabrous. Stones distinct.

Flowering early-late spring. Upper foothill woodlands, open conifer forests; 600-1500 m; Calif.

Subspecies wieslanderi occurs at middle elevations of the North Coast Range, southern Cascades, and northern Sierra Nevada (i.e., surrounding northern end of Sacramento Valley). Overlapping the elevational range of Arctostaphylos patula, it could be confused with that species.