Ocean Spray, Holodiscus discolor

About Ocean Spray (Holodiscus discolor) 47 Nurseries Carry This Plant

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Cream Bush (also called Ocean Spray) is famous for its cascading clusters of fragrant, creamy white flowers. These lovely blooms attract hummingbirds, bees, and butterflies. After blooming, the seeds provide food for birds, and the plant itself provides shelter for birds and small animals.

Cream Bush is an attractive deciduous shrub, commonly found in forest and woodland environments. In the garden, it does well in shade or part shade and adapts to a variety of soil types. Water needs are moderate, and it can enjoy supplemental irrigation in drier areas.

Holodiscus discolor -Creambush, Ocean Spray. (n.d.). Www.moosacreeknursery.com. Retrieved October 18, 2023, from https://www.moosacreeknursery.com/Native_Plants/471/Holodiscus-discolor ‌

Plant Description

Plant Type

Shrub

Size

3 - 16.4 ft tall
10 - 15 ft wide

Form

Upright, Weeping

Growth Rate

Moderate

Dormancy

Summer Semi-Deciduous, Winter Deciduous

Fragrance

Fragrant - Pleasant

Flower Color

Cream, White

Flowering Season

Spring, Summer

Wildlife Supported

Bees, butterflies, and other beneficial insects; hummingbirds (nectar); chickadees and sparrows (seeds). Provides cover for birds and small mammals.
Bee gardens

Butterflies & moths hosted ( 14 confirmed

, 23 likely * ) SHOW ALL

Pale Tiger Swallowtail Papilio eurymedonPapilio eurymedon

Lorquin's Admiral Limenitis lorquiniLimenitis lorquini

The Brown Elfin Callophrys augustinusCallophrys augustinus

Weidemeyer's Admiral Limenitis weidemeyeriiLimenitis weidemeyerii

Elegant Sheepmoth Hemileuca eglanterinaHemileuca eglanterina

Blinded Sphinx Paonias excaecataPaonias excaecata

Purplish Birch-miner Eriocrania semipurpurellaEriocrania semipurpurella

Landscaping Information

Sun

Shade, Part Shade

Moisture

Low, Moderate - High

Summer Irrigation

Max 2x / month once established

Nurseries

Carried by 47

Ease of Care

Very Easy

Cold Tolerance

Tolerates cold to -15° F

Soil Drainage

Fast, Medium

Soil Description

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

Common uses

Bank Stabilization, Bee Gardens, Bird Gardens, Butterfly Gardens, Butterfly Host Plants, Deer Resistant, Hedges

Companion Plants

Consider planting with other plants of: Mixed-evergreen forests, such as Pacific Ninebark (Physocarpus capitatus), Twinflower (Linnaea borealis var. longiflora), Golden Currant (Ribes aureum var. aureum), Common Snowberry (Symphoricarpos albus), Oregon Grape (Berberis aquifolium), & Redwood (Sequoia sempervirens); or with other plants of Chaparral and Oak woodlands, such as Lemonade Berry (Rhus integrifolia), Chaparral Currant (Ribes malvaceum), Fuchsia-Flowered Gooseberry (Ribes speciosum), Blue Elderberry (Sambucus mexicana), Golden Currant (Ribes aureum var. gracillimum), Creeping Snowberry (Symphoricarpos mollis), California WildRose (Rosa californica), Coastal Wood Fern (Dryopteris arguta), Coast Live Oak (Quercus agrifolia), & Canyon Live Oak (Quercus chrysolepis).

Maintenance

Not particularly susceptible to pests or disease.. Can prune spent blossoms for a manicured look. Unpruned dried blossom sprays are used by birds for building nests.

Propagation?

For optimum germination, seed must be either sown in the fall (usually preferable) or undergo a cold, moist stratification at 4-5º C for a period of 15 to 18 weeks. (Potash and Aubrey, 1997)

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

Moist open places, rocky slopes, disturbed sites.

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

Botanical Names: Holodiscus dumosus var. glabrescens,Spirea discolor
Common Names: Arrowwood, California Spiraea, Cream Bush, Creambush Oceanspray, Creambush Rock Spirea, Hillside Oceanspray, Meadow Sweet

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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

Ocean Spray

Holodiscus discolor

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Ocean SprayHolodiscus discolor

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Ocean Spray

Holodiscus discolor