Arctostaphylos cruzensis is a very petite manzanita which grows flat on the ground or shaped into a low mound. The stem is covered in red shreddy bark.
The small, pointed oval leaves are bright green and sometimes slightly toothed or with a fringe of hairs along the reddish edges.
The flowers are very pale pink and urn-shaped with tapered throats. The fruits are hairy drupes up to a centimeter in diameter and containing angular seeds.