Carpenteria californica

Identification

Gallery

Description

Bush Anemone, Carpenteria californica is an evergreen shrub, 6' by 3' in the garden, 8 ft. X 12 ft. with a 6-12 inch trunk in the wild. Carpenteria is native to the foothills of Fresno County, where it grows along the edges of seasonal creeks. Associated plants are Vitis californica, Calycanthus occidentalis, Sambucus caerulea, Quercus wislizenii, Rubus ursinus, and Umbellularia californica. Native in decomposed granite but tolerates adobe and loam well. Tolerates sun to shade. Do not over feed, will grow rank with too much care. It is refined with moderate neglect but needs some water if your rainfall is less than 20 inches per year. The plant is garden and drip tolerant with good drainage I suppose you could overwater in heavy soils, for the rest of you it will tolerate wet conditions and loves to be three to four feet from a lawn. Carpenteria has proven cold tolerant to 10 degrees F.; no problem. The bark burned off of it at 2 degrees F. CALM in Bakersfield has this plant in full sun with minimum water and care and it looks great. Deer generally don't bother with this plant until things get real bad.(Your roses will have left your yard the year before.) It has been in cultivation since 1875. The English use it commonly. "This is an almost hardy evergreen shrub, grown chiefly for its attractive flowers. The single anemone-shaped, scented flowers are glistening white; they are 2-3 in. across and are borne in June and July."(Hay). Stunningly beautiful in flower and decent looking when not. The prefect hedge for the narrow flower bed with a lawn on one side and a fence or neighbor on the other. We like this plant and do not know why it's not grown more.