10 Mountain Mahogany Bush Seeds for Planting - Cercocarpus betuloides

Introducing the Cercocarpus betuloides, also known as the California Mountain Mahogany, Mountain Mahogany, or Western Mountain Mahogany. This shrub typically grows between three to five meters in height and its name is derived from the Greek word “kerkos”, meaning "tail", referring to the tail-like appearance of the fruit and carpus, meaning "fruit". The leaves are unique with smooth edges from the base to halfway up, then they become wavy or toothed towards the rounded tip. The shrub's white, clustered flowers have a mild scent, and the fruit is a tubular achene with a distinctive curly, thin, feather-like extension that goes out two to three inches. The wood of the shrub is extremely hard and reddish, which explains its common name. Native American Californians used the hard wood for various purposes such as arrows, digging, spearing fish, and digging. The Cercocarpus betuloides grows in dry areas in the foothills and mountains of California, often in the chaparral communities, and in other parts of the southwestern United States and Baja California. There are three varieties of this shrub in California. Join the Californian natives and add the Western Mountain Mahogany to your garden!