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Elephant Tree
( Bursera microphylla )
Bursera microphylla
More Photos at CalPhotos
More Info at Jepson eFlora
Calflora
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3 Nurseries Carry This Plant
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About Elephant Tree (Bursera microphylla)
3 Nurseries Carry This Plant
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Elephant Tree (
Bursera microphylla
) is a small tree in the Burseraceae (Torchwood) family. This tree is native to the southwestern United States (Southern California and Arizona) and to Northern Mexico (states of Baja California, Baja California Sur, Sinaloa, Sonora and Zacatecas), exclusively in desert regions. It is the only representative of this family in the U.S.; many species occur in Mexico. The Anza-Borrego Desert in San Diego County is the northern limit of this species in California.
Although classified as a tree, in some locations the Elephant Tree is a sprawling 3-foot shrub. Its bark is light gray to white, with younger branches having a reddish color. It readily drops its light-colored leaves in response to drought and is extremely drought-adapted. The somewhat swollen trunk acts as water storage and has papery, exfoliating bark. The flowers are rounded yellow buds, which open into small, star-shaped white or cream flowers. Each fruit containing a single yellow stone. The Cahuilla People used the red sap of the Elephant Tree as a panacea.
Plant Description
Plant Type
Tree, Succulent
Size
13 ft tall
10 ft wide
Growth Rate
Very Slow
Dormancy
Summer Deciduous
Fragrance
Fragrant - Pleasant
Flower Color
White, Yellow, Cream
Flowering Season
Summer
Wildlife Supported
The fruits are attractive to many insects, small mammals and birds, notably Ash-throated Flycatcher and Gray Vireo.
Butterflies & moths hosted ( 1
confirmed
, 1
likely
* )
SHOW ALL
Hemileuca electra
Hemileuca electra
*
Ceanothus Silkmoth
Hyalophora euryalus
Hyalophora euryalus
Landscaping Information
Sun
Full Sun
Moisture
Extremely Low, Very Low
Summer Irrigation
Max 2x / month once established
Nurseries
Carried by 3
Ease of Care
Moderately Easy
Cold Tolerance
Tolerates cold to 25° F
Soil Drainage
Fast
Soil Description
Typically decomposed granite
Common uses
Bank Stabilization, Hedges, Deer Resistant
Companion Plants
It may be grown in a container almost indefinitely. If planted in the ground in a
Desert
garden setting, it can be combined with many native
Desert
shrubs, herbs and cacti from California and Baja. It is not usually offered for sale in native plant nurseries but may be found at specialty
Desert
or succulent nurseries.
Propagation
?
For propagating by seed: No treatment.
Natural Setting
Site Type
Rocky slopes of the desert
Climate
Annual Precipitation: 3.1" - 6.5", Summer Precipitation: 0.64" - 1.55", Coldest Month: 47.6" - 58.3", Hottest Month: 80.4" - 88.3", Humidity: 3.35" - 38.51", Elevation: 8" - 2623"
Alternative Names
Common Names
: Littleleaf Elephant Tree
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Elephant Tree
Bursera microphylla
Sources include:
Wikipedia
. All text shown in the "About" section of these pages is available under the
Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License
. Plant observation data provided by the participants of the
California Consortia of Herbaria
, Sunset information provided by
Jepson Flora Project
. Propogation from seed information provided by the
Santa Barbara Botanical Garden
from "Seed Propagation of Native California Plants" by Dara E. Emery. Sources of plant photos include
CalPhotos
,
Wikimedia Commons
, and independent plant photographers who have agreed to share their images with Calscape. Other general sources of information include
Calflora
,
CNPS Manual of Vegetation Online
,
Jepson Flora Project
,
Las Pilitas
,
Theodore Payne
,
Tree of Life
,
The Xerces Society
, and information provided by CNPS volunteer editors, with special thanks to Don Rideout. Climate data used in creation of plant range maps is from
PRISM Climate Group, Oregon State University
, using 30 year (1981-2010) annual "normals" at an 800 meter spatial resolution.
Links:
Jepson eFlora Taxon Page
CalPhotos
Wikipedia
Calflora
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