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Redshank

Adenostoma sparsifolium

Also called Red Shank, Redshanks, Ribbonwood

Redshank
Photo: Noah Elhardt, CC BY-SA 2.5

Redshank is a multi-trunked shrub or small tree from dry chaparral slopes of southern California and northern Baja California, known for its shaggy, peeling bark and tiny filament-like leaves. It is a wild species rarely grown in gardens, and it does best in dry, well-drained conditions with full sun.

Family
Rosaceae (Rose family)
Grows as
Tree, Shrub
Light
Full sun
Water
Water deeply but infrequently once established; let the soil dry out between waterings.
Soil
Well-drained, sandy or gravelly soil; tolerates poor, rocky soils.
Temperature
Tolerates cool winters and hot dry summers; protect from hard frost.
How easy
Hard
Native range
Mexico (Baja California Norte)
Climate
desert or dry shrubland

About

Adenostoma sparsifolium, commonly known as redshanks or less commonly (outside of area of its principal distribution), ribbonwood or ribbon bush, is a multi-trunked tree or shrub native to dry slopes or chaparral of Southern California and northern Baja California.

Where it grows

Redshanks inhabits higher elevations of chaparral just above and below the snowline in the Peninsular Ranges and does best on north-facing "ubac" slopes at around 4,000 feet of elevation. Associates at its lower range include California Scrub Oak and Hoary Ceanothus, and mingles with manzanitas at its upper range.

Other Adenostoma plants

Chamise · Chamise

Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Adenostoma sparsifolium by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.

The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.

Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.

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