[1] One specialized habitat in which A. tomentosa is found is the Monterey Cypress forests at Point Lobos and Del Monte Forest in Monterey County, California.

[2] This is a low-lying, spreading manzanita, generally quite a bit wider than it is tall.

The stems may be red or gray or both, with smooth, rough, or shreddy bark, hairless to quite bristly.

The leaves may be oval to lance-shaped and sometimes toothed,[3] but the upper surface is generally darker and shinier than the lower.

The fruits are fuzzy reddish drupes under a centimeter in diameter.