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Mountain Mahogany
Cercocarpus betuloides
  
About Mountain Mahogany (Cercocarpus betuloides) 68 Nurseries Carry This Plant Mountain Mahogany (Cercocarpus betuloides) is a distinctive-looking shrub that provides visual interest in the landscape. It is known for its long, fuzzy seeds that resemble curled feathers and shine in the sun. ?Cercocarpus? means fruit with a tail. The evergreen, birch-like leaves have edges that are smooth at the bottom and toothed at the top. Its small yellow flowers attract hummingbirds and butterflies. Mountain Mahogany is named for its dark bark color, but this plant is actually a member of the Rose family.

This shrub has a tall, upright habit and a fast growth rate. It is often used in narrow areas and as a hedge or privacy screen. It responds well to light or heavy pruning, which may be necessary when planted in small spaces. It can also be cut down to the ground for new growth. It's a low-water plant and adapts to a variety of soil types. Mountain Mahogany is notable for its extensive root system and is often used for restoration and bank stabilization.
Bornstein, C., Fross, D., O’Brien, B. (2005). California Native Plants for the Garden. Cachuma Press.
Plant Description
Plant Type
Plant Type
Shrub

Size
Size
8 - 20 ft tall
10 - 12 ft wide

Form
Form
Rounded, Upright Columnar

Growth Rate
Growth Rate
Fast, Moderate

Dormancy
Dormancy
Evergreen

Flower Color
Flower Color
Cream, White

Flowering Season
Flowering Season
Winter, Spring

Wildlife Supported
 


 

Landscaping Information
Sun
Sun
Part Shade, Full Sun

Moisture
Moisture
Very Low, Low,

Summer Irrigation
Summer Irrigation
Max 1x / month once established

Nurseries
Nurseries

Ease of Care
Ease of Care
Moderately Easy

Cold Tolerance
Cold Tolerance
Tolerates cold to 20° F

Soil Drainage
Soil Drainage
Fast, Medium, Slow

Soil Description
Soil Description
adaptable. Tolerates Serpentine Soil. Soil PH: 5.0 - 8.0

Common uses
Common uses
Hedges, Bank Stabilization, Deer Resistant, Bird Gardens, Butterfly Gardens

Companion Plants
Companion Plants
Good with Oak species, Toyon, Coffeeberry species, Manzanita species, Ceanothus species, sages, and most other chaparral species

Maintenance
Maintenance
Responds well to pruning/occasional hard pruning. Can be pruned to to fit well into narrow areas.

Propagation
Propagation?
For propagating by seed: No treatment; 1-1.5 mos. stratification may improve germination (Heit 1971; Hildreth and Johnson 1976).

Natural Setting
Site Type
Site Type
Slopes, often near runoffs or slightly damper areas, as part of chaparral or woodland with oaks or pines

Climate
Climate
Annual Precipitation: 4.3" - 97.0", Summer Precipitation: 0.14" - 3.08", Coldest Month: 24.9" - 57.5", Hottest Month: 47.6" - 84.2", Humidity: 0.35" - 35.59", Elevation: 11" - 9839"

Alternative Names
Common Names: Birch-leaf Mountain-mahogany, California Mountain Mahogany


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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