Frangula californica subsp. californica

Family: Rhamnaceae · Type: shrub · Native

California coffeeberry is a California native shrub found in northwestern, central, and southwestern California, including the Providence Mountains, in coastal sage scrub, desert scrub, chaparral, forest, and woodland at elevations up to 2,800 meters. Flowering from May to July, this plant produces small flowers with subtle greenish-white coloration. Growing with spreading branches 1 to 3 meters tall, it has distinctive red twigs that are smooth and glabrous. Its leaves are glossy, with dark green upper surfaces and bright green to yellow lower surfaces, measuring 2 to 8 centimeters long and having acute bases and tips. The shrub forms dense, multi-stemmed thickets in diverse California landscapes, creating important habitat and food sources for local wildlife.

Habitat: Coastal-sage scrub, desert scrub, chaparral, forest, woodland

Bloom period: May-Jul

Elevation: < 2800 m

Bioregions: NW, CW, SW, DMtns (Providence Mtns).

California counties: Humboldt, Orange, Los Angeles, Riverside, San Diego, San Bernardino, San Mateo, San Francisco, Mendocino, Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, Ventura, Marin, Monterey, Trinity, Sonoma, Lake, Contra Costa, Santa Cruz, Fresno, Shasta, Santa Clara, Alameda, Siskiyou, Lassen, Inyo, Mariposa, San Joaquin, Tulare, Butte, Del Norte, Colusa, El Dorado, Amador, Placer, Napa

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