Cercocarpus traskiae

Catalina island mountain-mahogany, Catalina Island Mountain-Mahogany

Family: Rosaceae · Type: tree · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 1B.1 · Endangered

Catalina island mountain-mahogany is a rare (CNPS 1B.1) California native tree found in southern Channel Islands on Santa Catalina Island in dry, rocky soils at elevations of 100 to 250 meters. Flowering in March, this plant produces white flowers in clusters of 3 to 16 blossoms with stamens ranging from 20 to 40. Growing 3 to 8 meters tall with a distinctive leathery texture, it has erect branching and a robust, woody structure. Its leaves are elliptic to obovate, 2 to 6 centimeters long, with 5 to 7 lateral veins and a distinctive white-woolly undersurface that appears softly textured. The fruit is accompanied by an impressive 4 to 6 centimeter long style, creating an elegant silhouette against the island landscape.

Habitat: Dry, rocky soils

Bloom period: Mar

Elevation: 100-250 m

Bioregions: s ChI (Santa Catalina Island).

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.