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Cercocarpus ledifolius
Also called Curlleaf Mountain Mahogany, Curlleaf Cercocarpus
Curl-leaf mountain mahogany is a slow-growing, drought-hardy shrub or small tree native to dry mountain slopes of the western US and Baja California. It is grown mainly as a native landscape or xeriscape plant, and it thrives with full sun and very good drainage.
Cercocarpus ledifolius is a North American species of mountain mahogany known by the common name curl-leaf mountain mahogany.
The species is widespread across much of the Western United States as well as Baja California in Mexico. It can be found at elevations ranging from 600 to 3,000 m (2,000 to 9,800 ft), with the preferred altitude varying depending on the region. It prefers shallow, well-drained soils with a sandy or grainy consistency, and is generally found in areas which receive only 15–26 cm (6–10 in) annual precipitation. This makes it common on low mountains and slopes, where it grows in scattered groves among other drought-resistant species such as pinyon pines, junipers and sagebrush.
The Gosiute Native Americans used the wood to make their bows. The species has many medicinal uses for various Native American groups, such as the Paiute and Shoshone.
Birch Leaf Mahogany · Cercocarpus ledifolius var. intricatus
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Cercocarpus ledifolius 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.
