Frangula purshiana subsp. annonifolia
Family: Rhamnaceae · Type: shrub · Native
Cascara is a California native shrub found in the Klamath Ranges, Cascade Range, and northern Sierra Nevada in conifer forest edges and streamsides at elevations below 2,000 meters. Flowering from March to June, this plant produces small white to cream-colored flowers in delicate clusters. Growing up to 5 meters tall with distinctive red to brown twigs, it forms an open, spreading shrub structure. Its leaves are thin and green, with petioles 5 to 25 millimeters long, featuring irregularly toothed margins and an obtuse to truncate leaf tip. The foliage ranges from glabrous to sparsely hairy, with a delicate tapered base.
Habitat: Conifer forest edges, streamsides, non-serpentine
Bloom period: Mar-Jun
Elevation: < 2000 m
Bioregions: KR, CaR, n&c SN
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.