Holodiscus discolor
Oceanspray, Oceanspray
(c) Gavin Slater, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Rosaceae · Type: Shrub · Native
Holodiscus discolor (Oceanspray) is a native California shrub in the Rosaceae family, recognized by Shrub with shredding reddish bark and plume-like cream panicles; congeners are all its own varieties.
Oceanspray is a California native shrub found in western mountain ranges and coastal areas in chaparral, woodland, and forest habitats. Flowering from May to July, this plant produces creamy white flowers in cascading clusters up to 25 centimeters wide. Growing 0.3 to 6 meters tall with reddish bark that becomes gray and shredding with age, the shrub has distinctive arching branches. Its leaves are ovate to obovate, 0.3 to 8 centimeters long, with strong veins and entire to slightly toothed edges, varying from glabrous to hairy. The small flowers produce achenes with occasional sessile glands, contributing to the plant's delicate, cascading appearance.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: Shrub with shredding reddish bark and plume-like cream panicles; congeners are all its own varieties
Habitat and range
California counties: Humboldt, San Luis Obispo, Trinity, Tuolumne, Orange, Monterey, Ventura, Tehama, Riverside, Los Angeles, Siskiyou, Mariposa, San Mateo, Mendocino, Fresno, Del Norte, Tulare, San Francisco, San Diego, El Dorado, Sonoma, Colusa, Nevada, Alpine, Santa Clara, Contra Costa, Mono, Madera, Santa Cruz, Lake, Marin, Napa, Santa Barbara, Inyo, Alameda, Butte, Amador, San Bernardino, Sutter, Kern, Placer, Solano, Plumas, Calaveras, Yuba, San Benito, Glenn, Lassen, Sierra, Modoc, Yolo, Shasta
How to tell it apart
vs Cercocarpus: Holodiscus has large foamy flower panicles with tiny petals; Cercocarpus has inconspicuous flowers with no petals.; vs Ribes: Holodiscus has pyramidal flower clusters; currants have drooping or upright racemes with distinctive tubular flowers.; vs Ceanothus: Holodiscus has pyramidal panicles of saucer-shaped flowers; Ceanothus has rounded clusters of tiny cupped flowers.; vs Rubus: Holodiscus has tiny flowers in foam-like masses; Rubus has larger individual flowers with prominent petals.; vs Corylus: Holodiscus has showy white flower panicles; hazelnut has inconspicuous catkins and large nuts.
Frequently asked questions
Is Holodiscus discolor native to California?
Yes. Holodiscus discolor is native to California (recorded as native).
Where in California does Holodiscus discolor grow?
Holodiscus discolor occurs in Humboldt, San Luis Obispo, Trinity, Tuolumne, Orange, Monterey, Ventura, Tehama and other counties.
What plant family does Holodiscus discolor belong to?
Holodiscus discolor is in the Rosaceae family, genus Holodiscus.
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.