Comarostaphylis diversifolia
# Comarostaphylis diversifolia

Comarostaphylis diversifolia, known by the common names summer holly and California comarostaphylos, is a species of shrub in the heath family.

It is native to Southern California and northern Baja California, where it grows in coastal chaparral habitat.

## Description

Comarostaphylis diversifolia is an erect shrub which can exceed 4 metres (13 ft) in height. Its bark is gray and shreddy and the tough, evergreen leaves are oval in shape and sometimes toothed.

The inflorescence is a raceme of urn-shaped flowers very similar to those of the related shrubs, the manzanitas. The fruit is a bright red, juicy drupe with a bumpy skin.

### Subspecies

There are two subspecies:

* Comarostaphylis diversifolia ssp. diversifolia - native to the coastal hills of Southern California and Baja California.
* Comarostaphylis diversifolia ssp. planifolia - native to the Channel Islands of California and the Transverse Ranges north of Los Angeles.
