Curl-leaf Mountain Mahogany
Cercocarpus ledifolius · Rosaceae
- Form
- Tree
- Height
- 6–25 ft
- Sun
- Full Sun
- Water
- Very Low
- Blooms
- May, Jun
- Habitat
- Pinyon Juniper · Montane
🌿 California native
Quick facts
- Habitat: Pinyon-Juniper Woodland, dry Montane slopes
- Form / size: Dense evergreen shrub / small tree, 6–25 ft
- Sun: Full sun · Water: Very low
- The show: silky, feathery corkscrew seed tails that shimmer in late summer
Description
A tough, slow, long-lived evergreen of dry rocky mountain slopes, with small, leathery, inrolled (curled-margin) dark green leaves and exceptionally hard, dense wood (it sinks in water). The flowers are inconspicuous, but the seeds carry long, silvery, twisted feathery plumes that catch the light and aid wind dispersal — the plant’s real show. Nitrogen-fixing (actinorhizal), so it enriches poor soils.
Wildlife & pollinators
Important mule deer browse; provides cover and seed for birds; flowers draw some insects.
Habitat & range
Rocky Pinyon-Juniper Woodland and dry montane slopes of the Eastern Sierra, Great Basin ranges, and higher SoCal mountains.
In the garden
An excellent, deer-resistant, drought-proof evergreen screen for hot, dry, well-drained mountain/high-desert gardens. Full sun, very low water.
Propagation
From seed (the plumed achenes), sown after cleaning; germination can be slow/erratic.
Where to see it near you
- iNaturalist — observed across California (map)
- Rocky slopes around Big Bear and the Eastern Sierra.
