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Coffeeberry
Frangula californica
  
About Coffeeberry (Frangula californica) 92 Nurseries Carry This Plant Coffeeberr (Frangula caylifornica) gets its name because its berries contain seeds that look like coffee beans. It is a fairly common plant native to California and southwestern Oregon.

This dense evergreen shrub has dark red branches. Its leaves are an attractive dark green with reddish tint. The flowers are inconspicuous, small and greenish-white with five petals; flowers are produced in clusters.

The plant is prized more for its fruit, which turns red, then purple, and finally black over the summer. It is valued by birds.

This plant is beautiful and easy to grow. It tolerates a wide variety of soil types and likes either full sun or part shade. It is moderately garden tolerant, and is OK with light summer water up to 2x per month.

Coffeeberry has a dense form and is easy to prune. It makes a great and fire resistant hedge. There are six subspecies, some of which are restricted to certain parts of its range or certain growing requirements. There are also several horticultural varieties including 'Eve Case' and 'Mound San Bruno'. Select one that best fits your locations and conditions.
Plant Description
Plant Type
Plant Type
Shrub

Size
Size
6 - 15 ft tall
5 - 15 ft wide

Form
Form
Mounding, Rounded, Spreading

Growth Rate
Growth Rate
Moderate

Dormancy
Dormancy
Evergreen

Fragrance
Fragrance
None

Flower Color
Flower Color
Cream, Green, White

Flowering Season
Flowering Season
Spring, Summer

Wildlife Supported
 
Various birds are attracted to the fruits and seeds

 

Landscaping Information
Sun
Sun
Full Sun, Part Shade

Moisture
Moisture
Low, Very Low

Summer Irrigation
Summer Irrigation
Max 2x / month once established

Nurseries
Nurseries

Ease of Care
Ease of Care
Very Easy

Cold Tolerance
Cold Tolerance
Tolerates cold to 10° F

Soil Drainage
Soil Drainage
Fast, Medium

Soil Description
Soil Description
Tolerates a variety of soils, but some subspecies have specific soil affinities. Soil PH: 5.0 - 8.0

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

Companion Plants
Companion Plants
Because the species is found in various habitats throughout the state and is tolerant of garden conditions, it can be combined with a wide variety of trees and shrubs.

Maintenance
Maintenance
Takes pruning well. Upright forms may be pruned to form a hedge.

Propagation
Propagation?
Seeds or cuttings.  For propagating by seed: Fresh seeds need no treatment; stored seeds 3 months stratification.

Natural Setting
Site Type
Site Type
This species is found in a wide variety of settings and habitats across the state, including coastal strand, foothill woodland slopes, sage scrub flats, chaparral, evergreen forest in mountain areas, rocky outcrops, sandy areas, stream banks, pinyon-juniper woodland in desert transition, and creosote bush scrub in high desert

Climate
Climate
Annual Precipitation: 3.5" - 156.3", Summer Precipitation: 0.14" - 5.90", Coldest Month: 11.6" - 56.0", Hottest Month: 34.8" - 81.9", Humidity: 0.01" - 34.79", Elevation: -261" - 13935"

Alternative Names
Botanical Names: Rhamnus californica
Common Names: California Buckthorn


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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