[2] Most of the extant populations are located in the hills south of the Pajaro River Valley.

Arctostaphylos pajaroensis is an erect shrub growing at least 1 metre (3.3 ft) tall and known to exceed 4 metres (13 ft) in height.

It has shreddy red or grayish bark with woolly hairs and long white bristles on its smaller twigs.

The dense foliage is made up of gray-green, reddish-tinted leaves with smooth, toothed, or rolled edges.

They are oval to somewhat triangular in shape and 2 to 4 centimeters long.