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Cream Bush
Holodiscus discolor
  
42 Nurseries Carry This Plant

About Cream Bush (Holodiscus discolor) 42 Nurseries Carry This Plant Holodiscus discolor is a shrub of western North America that is commonly known as ocean spray, creambush or ironwood. It is common in the Pacific Northwest where it is found in both openings and the forest understory at low to moderate elevations. It is a fast-growing deciduous shrub growing to 5 meter tall. Its alternate leaves are small, 5-9 centimeter long and 4-7 centimeter broad, lobbed, juicy green when new. Cascading clusters of white flowers drooping from the branches give the plant its two common names. The flowers have a faint sweet, sugary scent. It bears a small, hairy fruit containing one seed which is light enough to be dispersed by wind.
Plant Description
Plant Type
Plant Type
Shrub

Size
Size
3 - 16.4 ft tall
10 - 15 ft wide

Form
Form
Upright, Weeping

Growth Rate
Growth Rate
Moderate

Dormancy
Dormancy
Winter Deciduous

Fragrance
Fragrance
Fragrant - Pleasant

Flower Color
Flower Color
White, Green

Flowering Season
Flowering Season
Summer, Spring

Wildlife Supported
 
Hummingbirds, bees, and other beneficial insects. Provides cover for birds and small mammals.

 
Butterflies & moths hosted ( 14 confirmed , 24 likely * ) SHOW ALL
Papilio eurymedon Image
Pale Tiger Swallowtail Papilio eurymedonPapilio eurymedon
Limenitis lorquini Image
Lorquin's Admiral Limenitis lorquiniLimenitis lorquini
Callophrys augustinus Image
The Brown Elfin Callophrys augustinusCallophrys augustinus
Limenitis weidemeyerii Image
Weidemeyer's Admiral Limenitis weidemeyeriiLimenitis weidemeyerii
Hemileuca eglanterina Image
Elegant Sheepmoth Hemileuca eglanterinaHemileuca eglanterina
Paonias excaecata Image
Blinded Sphinx Paonias excaecataPaonias excaecata
Eriocrania semipurpurella Image
Purplish Birch-miner Eriocrania semipurpurellaEriocrania semipurpurella

Landscaping Information
Sun
Sun
Shade, Part Shade

Moisture
Moisture
Low, Moderate - High

Summer Irrigation
Summer Irrigation
Max 2x / month once established

Nurseries
Nurseries
Carried by 42

Ease of Care
Ease of Care
Very Easy

Cold Tolerance
Cold Tolerance
Tolerates cold to -15° F

Soil Drainage
Soil Drainage
Fast

Soil Description
Soil Description
Adaptable, does well in garden soil. Tolerates Serpentine Soil. Soil PH: 6 - 8

Common uses
Common uses
Hedges, Deer Resistant, Butterfly Gardens

Companion Plants
Companion Plants
Consider planting with other plants of a mixed-evergreen forest, such as Pacific Ninebark (Physocarpus capitatus), Golden Currant (Ribes aureum var. aureum), Twinflower (Linnaea borealis var. longiflora), and Oregon Grape (Berberis aquifolium).

Maintenance
Maintenance
Not particularly susceptible to pests or disease.. Prune to maintain a manicured shape.

Propagation
Propagation?
For propagating by seed: 41/2 mos. stratification (USDA Forest Service 1974).

Sunset Zones
Sunset Zones?
1, 2, 3, 4*, 5*, 6*, 7*, 8, 9, 14*, 15*, 16*, 17*, 18, 19*, 20*, 21*, 22*, 23*, 24

Natural Setting
Site Type
Site Type
Moist open places, rocky slopes, disturbed sites.

Climate
Climate
Annual Precipitation: 7.4" - 158.4", Summer Precipitation: 0.14" - 5.95", Coldest Month: 11.6" - 56.1", Hottest Month: 34.8" - 78.0", Humidity: 0.01" - 24.73", Elevation: 2" - 13935"

Alternative Names
Common Names: Creambush Oceanspray, Hillside Oceanspray


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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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