Sugar Bush
Rhus ovata · Anacardiaceae
- Form
- Shrub
- Height
- 6–15 ft
- Sun
- Full Sun
- Water
- Low
- Blooms
- Mar, Apr, May
- Habitat
- Chaparral
🌿 California native
Quick facts
- Habitat: Chaparral and dry inland slopes
- Form / size: Rounded evergreen shrub, 6–15 ft
- Sun: Full sun · Water: Low
- Blooms: Spring · Tell: glossy leaves folded like a taco
Description
The inland, chaparral counterpart to Lemonade Berry. A rounded evergreen with thick, glossy, ovate leaves folded upward along the midrib, reddish flower buds opening to pink-white clusters, and sticky reddish fruit with a sweet coating. Handsome, heat- and drought-hardy, and long-lived.
Wildlife & pollinators
Flowers feed bees; fruit feeds birds; dense canopy gives cover.
Habitat & range
Dry chaparral slopes and foothills, more interior and heat-tolerant than lemonade berry.
In the garden
A clean evergreen screen or specimen for hot, dry inland gardens. Full sun, low water, good drainage. Tolerates more heat and cold than lemonade berry.
Propagation
From seed (heat/smoke aids germination) and semi-hardwood cuttings.
Where to see it near you
- iNaturalist — observed in Orange County
- Inland chaparral of the Santa Ana Mountains.
Problems
Very tough; minimal problems in dry, well-drained sites.
