manzanita

noun

man·​za·​ni·​ta ˌman-zə-ˈnē-tə 

: any of various western North American evergreen shrubs (genus Arctostaphylos) of the heath family with alternate leaves

Examples of manzanita in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Some seeds, like those of red maids, soaproot, mariposa lily, island manzanita and chamise, are called fire-followers and need heat or smoke of fire to germinate. — Nollyanne Delacruz, Mercury News, 18 Feb. 2026

Snow sometimes dusts the surrounding slopes, melting by afternoon into damp earth as manzanita and mountain lilac begin to flower. — Josh Jackson, Los Angeles Times, 7 Apr. 2026

Across Arizona’s Sky Islands, home to many black bears, valleys and hillslopes are dotted with the rusty corpses of Emory oak, alligator juniper and manzanitas. — Shi En Kim, AZCentral.com, 20 Feb. 2026

For her garden design clients in Marin County, Holmes favors a combination of California native and non-native plants, including salvias, agaves, aloes, and manzanitas. — Mike Irvine, Better Homes & Gardens, 5 Oct. 2025

Word History

Etymology

American Spanish, diminutive of Spanish manzana apple

First Known Use

1846, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for manzanita

• amanita
• cucurbita
• emerita
• incognita
• senorita
• amrita
• excreta
• lolita
• marita
• partita
• samhita
• cheetah

Kids Definition

manzanita

noun

man·​za·​ni·​ta ˌman-zə-ˈnēt-ə 

: any of various evergreen shrubs of western North America that belong to the heath family