Arctostaphylos stanfordiana is a bushy shrub growing .5–3 metres (1.6–9.8 ft) in height. Leaves are oblong to widely lance-shaped, shiny green, and up to 5 centimeters long.
The inflorescence is a loose cluster of urn-shaped manzanita flowers which are pink, with some so pale that they are nearly white. The fruit is an oblong drupe about 7 millimeters wide.
Subspecies
There are three subspecies:
A. s. ssp. decumbens (Rincon manzanita) - rare subspecies endemic to Sonoma County
A. s. ssp. raichei (Raiche's manzanita) - known mostly from Mendocino County
A. s. ssp. stanfordiana (Stanford's manzanita) - more widespread than other subspecies
