Fremontodendron californicum
California flannelbush
California and southwestern North America
Overview
Fremontodendron californicum is an evergreen shrub or small tree in the mallow family, growing 6-20 feet (1.8-6 m) tall and 6-12 feet (1.8-3.7 m) wide with a stiff, upright to spreading branch structure. The rounded, three-lobed leaves are 0.75-3 inches (2-7.5 cm) long, dark green and roughened above and coated beneath with dense rusty-brown hairs. These star-shaped hairs shed readily and can irritate skin, eyes, and airways on contact. From April to June, and sometimes again in summer, the branches carry saucer-shaped blooms 1.5-2.5 inches (4-6 cm) across; what look like five waxy yellow petals are actually petal-like sepals, often flushed orange or copper on the reverse. Bees and hummingbirds visit the open flowers, which give way to bristly, cone-shaped seed capsules. The plant grows quickly but is short-lived, often declining after 5-15 years, and it does not tolerate summer water around its roots, where excess moisture brings on fatal crown and root rot. It grows on dry, rocky chaparral and oak-woodland slopes of California and adjacent Arizona and Baja California. Bark is gray-brown and fissured on older trunks. Growth is rapid in the first years, then slows as the framework becomes woody and somewhat brittle.
Native Range
Native to California, where it grows on dry slopes of the Sierra Nevada foothills, Coast Ranges, and inland chaparral. Its range reaches into southern Oregon, western Arizona, and northern Baja California, Mexico. It occupies rocky granitic or serpentine soils in chaparral and lower montane woodland, generally below 6,500 feet (2,000 m).Suggested Uses
Fremontodendron californicum is used in dry-slope plantings, native and water-thrifty gardens, and informal screens in mild-winter regions. It suits bank stabilization on lean soils and combines with manzanita, ceanothus, and other chaparral shrubs. It is not suited to lawns, irrigated beds, or containers, where summer moisture shortens its life.How to Identify
Appearance
Size & Dimensions
Height6' - 20'
Width/Spread6' - 12'
Reaches mature size in approximately 6 years
Bloom Information
Main bloom comes from April to June, with scattered flowers sometimes continuing into July or August where summers are mild. The yellow saucer-shaped flowers open along the previous season growth and last several days each. Bloom is heaviest in full sun on lean, dry soils and lighter where roots receive summer irrigation.
Detailed Descriptions
Foliage Description
dark green above, rusty-brown beneathGrowing Conditions
Sun Requirements
Requires 6-12 hours of direct sunlight daily
• Full Sun: 6+ hours of direct sunlight
• Partial Shade: 3-6 hours of direct sunlight
• Full Shade: Less than 3 hours of direct sunlight