Cercocarpus sp.
Mountain-mahogany, Mountain-Mahogany
Family: Rosaceae · Type: Shrub · Native
Cercocarpus sp. (Mountain-mahogany) is a native California shrub in the Rosaceae family.
How to tell it apart
vs Ceanothus: Cercocarpus has no petals and feathery-tailed fruits; Ceanothus has tiny cupped petals and berry-like capsules.; vs Holodiscus: Cercocarpus flowers lack petals entirely; Holodiscus has tiny white petals in showy foam-like panicles.; vs Quercus: Cercocarpus has feathery-tailed fruits; oaks have acorns in cups.; vs Rhamnus: Cercocarpus has feathery-tailed dry fruits; Rhamnus has smooth berry-like drupes.; vs Alnus: Cercocarpus has feathery-tailed single fruits; Alnus has woody cone-like catkins.
Frequently asked questions
Is Cercocarpus sp. native to California?
Yes. Cercocarpus sp. is native to California (recorded as native).
What plant family does Cercocarpus sp. belong to?
Cercocarpus sp. is in the Rosaceae family, genus Cercocarpus.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
- Cercocarpus traskiae — Catalina island mountain-mahogany
- Cercocarpus betuloides — Birch leaf mountain mahogany
- Cercocarpus betuloides var. betuloides — Birch-leaf mountain-mahogany
- Cercocarpus betuloides var. blancheae — Island mountain-mahogany
- Cercocarpus betuloides var. macrourus — Few flowered mountain mahogany
- Cercocarpus ledifolius — Curl-leaf mountain-mahogany
- Chamaebatia australis — Southern mountain misery
- Chamaebatia foliolosa — Mountain misery
- Chamaebatia sp.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-04-14
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.