Frangula purshiana subsp. ultramafica

Caribou coffee berry, Caribou Coffee Berry

Family: Rhamnaceae · Type: shrub · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 1B.2

Caribou coffee berry is a rare (CNPS 1B.2) California native shrub found in northern Sierra Nevada (Plumas County) in open conifer forest, montane chaparral, and serpentine seeps at elevations of 820 to 1,950 meters. Flowering from April to June, this plant produces small white to greenish-white flowers clustered near branch tips. Growing to less than 2 meters tall with twigs that range from green to gray or dull brown and are densely hairy, it forms a compact shrubby structure. Its leaves are widely oblong or ovate, leathery and blue- or green-gray, with a papillate surface that can be sparsely to densely hairy, featuring obtuse or notched tips and entire to slightly serrated margins. The shrub's distinctive velvety leaf texture and blue-gray coloration make it well-adapted to its serpentine habitat.

Habitat: Open conifer forest, montane chaparral, seeps, serpentine

Bloom period: Apr-Jun

Elevation: 820-1950 m

Bioregions: n SN (Plumas Co.).

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