Lyonothamnus floribundus subsp. aspleniifolius

Santa cruz island ironwood, Santa Cruz Island Ironwood

Family: Rosaceae · Type: tree · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 1B.2

Santa cruz island ironwood is a rare (CNPS 1B.2) California native tree found in the Channel Islands, specifically on Santa Cruz, Santa Rosa, and San Clemente islands, in rocky slopes, canyons, oak woodland, and chaparral at elevations of 20 to 500 meters. Flowering from May to July, this tree produces white flowers in distinctive clusters. Growing 4 to 12 meters tall with an upright, branching form, it develops a sturdy, woody structure. Its complex leaves are large, typically 9 to 21 centimeters long, with primary leaflets that are linear and measuring 5 to 14 centimeters, and secondary leaflets closely arranged in 20 to 30 small segments. The tree has a distinctive, fern-like leaf structure that creates a dramatic silhouette in its native island habitats.

Habitat: Rocky slopes, canyons, oak woodland, chaparral

Bloom period: May-Jul

Elevation: 20-500 m

Bioregions: ChI (Santa Cruz, Santa Rosa, San Clemente islands).

California counties: Santa Barbara, Los Angeles, Alameda, Del Norte, San Luis Obispo, Santa Clara

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