Shrubs, prostrate or mound-forming, 0.1-1 m; burl absent; twigs short gray-hairy. Leaves bifacial in stomatal distribution; petiole 2-3 mm; blade dull gray abaxially, dark green, ± shiny adaxially, narrowly obovate to oblanceolate, (convex), 1-2 × 0.5-1.5 cm, base cuneate, margins (tinged with red), entire, ± cupped, abaxial surface smooth, densely gray-tomentose, adaxial surface smooth, sparsely puberulent. Inflorescences racemes, simple or 1-branched; immature inflorescence pendent, axis 0.3-0.5 cm, 1+ mm diam., short gray-hairy; bracts not appressed, scalelike (proximalmost leaflike), lanceolate or oblanceolate, 2-3 mm, apex acute to mucronate, surfaces hairy or glabrous. Pedicels 3-4 mm, hairy. Flowers: corolla white, urceolate; ovary white-hairy or ± glabrous. Fruits globose, 5-6 mm diam., sparsely hairy or glabrous. Stones distinct. 2n = 26.

Flowering winter-early spring. Sand dunes, maritime chaparral, open, closed-cone conifer forests; of conservation concern; 0-300 m; Calif.

Arctostaphylos pumila is known from the southern Monterey Bay region, Monterey County.