Frangula purshiana
Cascara, Cascara
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Family: Rhamnaceae · Type: Shrub / Tree · Native
Frangula purshiana (Cascara) is a native California shrub / tree in the Rhamnaceae family, recognized by Deciduous; large (to 15 cm) thin leaves, brown-hairy terminal bud; northern ranges.
Cascara is a native shrub found in western North American forests and mountain woodlands at elevations of 500 to 1,500 meters. Flowering from March to June, this plant produces small white to greenish flowers in clusters less than 25 flowers long. Growing with distinctive gray bark and green to reddish-brown twigs, it reaches heights of 3 to 6 meters with an open, spreading growth habit. Its deciduous leaves are widely elliptical, 8 to 15 centimeters long, with prominent veins and edges that may be entire or slightly toothed, ranging from green to blue-gray in color. The fruit is a small black three-stoned drupe approximately 5 to 10 millimeters in diameter.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: Deciduous; large (to 15 cm) thin leaves, brown-hairy terminal bud; northern ranges
Habitat and range
California counties: Humboldt, Plumas, Mendocino, Siskiyou, Trinity, Del Norte, Sierra, Shasta, Calaveras, Butte, Monterey, Lake, Ventura, Nevada, Glenn, Sonoma, Tehama, Marin, San Luis Obispo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, San Mateo, El Dorado, Placer, Orange
How to tell it apart
vs Heteromeles: Frangula has simple leaves and naked buds; Heteromeles has toothed leaves and scaly buds.; vs Prunus: Frangula berries turn from red to black; Prunus fruits are uniform colored when ripe.; vs Rhamnus: Frangula buds are naked (no scales); Rhamnus buds have protective scales.; vs Quercus: Frangula has opposite or alternate smooth leaves; Quercus has spiral lobed or toothed leaves.; vs Umbellularia: Frangula leaves lack strong aroma; Umbellularia leaves smell strongly spicy when crushed.
Frequently asked questions
Is Frangula purshiana native to California?
Yes. Frangula purshiana is native to California (recorded as native).
Where in California does Frangula purshiana grow?
Frangula purshiana occurs in Humboldt, Plumas, Mendocino, Siskiyou, Trinity, Del Norte, Sierra, Shasta and other counties.
What plant family does Frangula purshiana belong to?
Frangula purshiana is in the Rhamnaceae family, genus Frangula.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.