The Mariposa Manzanita is a perennial shrub that is native to the California chaparral. These trees are found growing on open hillsides, along the edges of woodlands, and pine forests.

These plants love and grow well in sunny dry areas, and grows up to about 6 to 12 feet, but can even grow up to about 20 feet if the conditions are ideal.

Even though they love dry well-drained areas, they can grow fairly well in a good amount of water when the plant in young. The older it gets, the less it can tolerate too much water.

There are about 60 different varieties of Manzanita growing in the world. Its leaves are especially important for its survival.

The leaves of the mariposa Manzanita are grey-green evergreens that grow on long twisted but smooth maroon branches. When they grow really well the tree develops a huge thick trunk.

The leaf of the mariposa Manzanita is leathery and is positioned upright so that very little of the leaf is exposed to the sun.

Another adaptation of the plant is its ability to adapt to fire, since bush fires happen quite often in the desert chaparral. It adapts itself by producing seeds at an early age, so that even if the tree is destroyed during a fire, the seeds can still germinate.

This plant can also re-sprout after a fire because of its woody tap roots, and other parts called the basal burls. These parts have vegetative buds under the soil, which are triggered into growth, by the winter rains that follow a fire.