Frangula sp.
Coffee berry, Coffee Berry
(c) Nicolás Baresch Uribe, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Rhamnaceae · Type: Shrub · Native
Frangula sp. (Coffee berry) is a native California shrub in the Rhamnaceae family.
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 sp. native to California?
Yes. Frangula sp. is native to California (recorded as native).
What plant family does Frangula sp. belong to?
Frangula sp. is in the Rhamnaceae family, genus Frangula.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
- Frangula californica — California coffee berry
- Frangula californica subsp. californica
- Frangula californica subsp. crassifolia
- Frangula californica subsp. cuspidata
- Frangula californica subsp. occidentalis
- Frangula californica subsp. tomentella
- Pseudoziziphus parryi var. parryi — Parry's jujube
- Rhamnaceae sp. — Buckthorn family
- Rhamnus alaternus — Italian buckhorn
- Rhamnus alnifolia — Alder buckthorn
Sources: Jepson eFlora · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-04-14
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.