Re: Carpenteria californica, the Tree-Anemone

At 10:00 PM 12/11/99 +1000, Liz Runciman wrote:
 >Hi Sean
 >
 >    <snip>                                            I have
 >just recently acquired Carpenteria californica which is strangely,
 >virtually unknown here.  Is it common in gardens in California?
 >It is so amazingly beautiful!

Liz -

Capenteria was one of my mother's favorite flowers - way back in
the 40's & 50's.  It is still rarely seen, and when it is, it is
often poorly placed.  The plant can get very large and lush,
especially in rich, heavy soils.  Growing a bit leaner and drier
is a good idea.  It likes good mulch and amendment but can grow
very dry when fully established.  Its luch, dark green foliage
is very formal looking for a native plant, and the classic, white
anemone-like flowers and delicate fragrance are perfect for a
formal garden setting.  I am often surprised it hasn't been more
popular - I think it has never gotten adequate 'press'!

It is an interesting plant botanicly.  Botanists consider it a
living relic of an ancient group of plants.  There are no close
relatives alive now, only in fossil records.  The native
populations grow only in Fresno County between the San Joaquin
and King rivers.  It grows on granatic soils in chaparral, at an
elevation of 1,500-4,00 ft, with gray pines and oak woodlands
(more spartan environment that it's looks would indicate to
most people).  Some of these populations are now protected, but
many are on privately owned land and at risk of being destroyed
by clearing for residential development.  Fire suppression over
the past decades have also prevented seedlings from developing
in the extra light and different nutrient levels of a fire-
cleared area.

Since its discovery in 1845 by botanist John Fremont, it has been
a very popular plant outside of California, known in England's
Royal Botanic gardens since that time, and also a hit among
California native plant people.  It is one of those interesting
cases where a plant becomes much more common in cultivation that
in the wild, due to habitat destruction.

Sean O.

Sean A. O'Hara                       sean.ohara@groupmail.com
h o r t u l u s   a p t u s          710 Jean Street
'a garden suited to its purpose'     Oakland, CA 94610-1459, U.S.A.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Ask me about the worldwide Mediterranean gardening discussion group
Other Mailing lists | Author Index | Date Index | Subject Index | Thread Index