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Mexican Flannelbush
Fremontodendron mexicanum
  
About Mexican Flannelbush (Fremontodendron mexicanum) 11 Nurseries Carry This Plant Fremontodendron mexicanum is a rare species of shrub in the mallow family known by the common name Mexican flannelbush. It is known from about ten occurrences in northern Baja California and adjacent San Diego County, California, but it has most recently been confirmed to exist in only two of those locales today. In 1993, fewer than 100 individuals were thought to exist. In the United States it is a federally listed endangered species. The shrub grows in chaparral and coniferous forests among Tecate cypress trees, generally on alluvial plains. It is grown as an attractive ornamental plant in gardens and has occasionally been seen growing in the wild as a garden escapee. It is an erect, flowering shrub or multi-trunked small tree reaching 6-15 feet (1. 8-4. 6 m) high, with branches spreading to 10 feet (3. 0 m) wide. The leathery and furry olive green leaves are up to 5 centimeters long and divided into several wide lobes. The solitary flowers, each about 6 centimeters wide, appear spread along the branches. The showy flowers are made up of five bright orange sepals and have no true petals.

Fremontodendron mexicanum is cultivated as an ornamental plant by specialty plant nurseries, for planting in native plant, drought tolerant, and wildlife gardens, and in natural landscaping and habitat restoration projects.
Plant Description
Plant Type
Plant Type
Shrub

Size
Size
6 - 25 ft tall
25 ft wide

Form
Form
Rounded

Growth Rate
Growth Rate
Fast

Dormancy
Dormancy
Evergreen

Fragrance
Fragrance
None

Flower Color
Flower Color
Yellow, Orange

Flowering Season
Flowering Season
Spring

Wildlife Supported
 


 
Butterflies & moths hosted ( 1 likely * ) SHOW ALL

Landscaping Information
Sun
Sun
Full Sun

Moisture
Moisture
Low

Summer Irrigation
Summer Irrigation
Never irrigate once established

Nurseries
Nurseries

Cold Tolerance
Cold Tolerance
Tolerates cold to 20° F

Soil Drainage
Soil Drainage
Fast

Soil Description
Soil Description
Must be fast draining. Soil PH: 6.0 - 8.0

Common uses
Common uses
Hedges, Deer Resistant, Bee Gardens

Companion Plants
Companion Plants

Maintenance
Maintenance
Prune in late summer to encourage compact growth. Be sure to wear gloves as the leaf and stem hairs can be highly irritating.

Propagation
Propagation?
See or cuttings. Most plants available in nursery trade are hybrids, so cuttings are the best way to obtain a reliable result.

Natural Setting
Site Type
Site Type
Dry sandy washes and slopes, usually within about 20 miles of the coast and below 2,000 ft. in the southern part of the state, usually as part of the chaparral community. Also occasionally found in association with foothill woodland or pine forest

Climate
Climate
Annual Precipitation: 11.0" - 18.4", Summer Precipitation: 0.24" - 0.78", Coldest Month: 45.0" - 54.2", Hottest Month: 73.4" - 77.4", Humidity: 1.70" - 24.12", Elevation: 125" - 2485"


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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