This is a short, spreading shrub. The larger branches have dull red bark and the twigs are generally woolly. Leaves are bright green and shiny, with few hairs especially along the edges. The shrub blooms in spherical clusters of urn-shaped whitish manzanita flowers. This species is cultivated as a chaparral landscaping plant and it is used to stabilize soil against erosion on mountain slopes. It is best grown in high elevation gardens with cold winters.