Frangula californica ssp. occidentalis syn/previously Rhamnus californica ssp. occidentalis
Coffeeberry is a fast-growing, evergreen to semi-evergreen large shrub with a naturally rounded form that thrives in full sun to part shade. It sports glossy, dark green leaves and produces small, inconspicuous greenish flowers in late spring and early summer that attract and support pollinators. By late summer, the flowers give way to attractive clusters of fruit that resemble coffee beans. This ecologically important shrub supports a wide range of pollinators, provides fruit and cover for birds and other wildlife and works beautifully as a hedge, screen, or backbone plant in habitat gardens and drought-tolerant landscapes. Allegedly, it can live 100-200yrs old!
- Plant type/canopy layer: evergreen, perennial, large shrub
- Size at maturity: usually 6-10’ tall, but can get as big as 15’ feet in the most favorable conditions, equally wide
- Light requirements: full sun; part sun/part-shade
- Moisture requirements: dry soil, must be well-drained
- Growth rate/ease: fast growing, easy to grow
- Bloom time: April-July
- Wildlife support: flowers are a nectar source for adult butterflies, bees and other insect pollinators; foliage is a staple food for wild animals such as mule deer, black bears and other big game, particularly when deciduous plants are dormant; fruits are also eaten by large game and are highly attractive to many species of birds, who inadvertently spread the ingested seeds far and wide; dense branches offer valuable shelter; overall plant attracts and supports beneficial and other pest eating insects and is believed to be the host plant and larval food source for over two dozen native butterflies and moths.
- Native range: grows on foothill slopes, chaparral zones and dry oak woodlands up to 2300m, in Southern Oregon and Northern California. Portland Plant List – no.
-
Special features & uses: evergreen; drought tolerant; landscape used include bank stabilization, and habitat hedgerows
- Ethnobotany - According to USDA NRCS, like other species in the buckthorn family, coffeeberry produces a purgative effect and has been used by indigenous people, by groups such as the Chumash and Costanoan, to treat constipation by drying and grinding the inner bark to create a laxative tea. The leaves can also be decocted to treat poison oak or directly rubbed on skin as a remedy for rheumatism and to heal infected sores and wounds. The bark has also been used to treat influenza and as a kidney remedy and placing a heated root in the mouth souths toothaches.
Gardening with Coffeeberry: This shrub grows best in areas with full sun to part shade and well-drained, coarse soil. It makes an excellent backbone shrub for hedges, screens, or mixed native plantings where it provides year-round structure and blends naturally with oaks, manzanitas, and native grasses. Provide infrequent water during the first two summers, while it establishes, then it becomes extremely drought tolerant. Simply avoid heavy pruning beyond light shaping, allow leaf litter to remain beneath the plant to improve soil health and let it be one of the most low-maintenance, wildlife-friendly plants in your garden.
Photo Credits 1-4 (leaves, berries, branches): Alex Heyman, no rights reserved (CC0)
Photo Credit 5 (in the wild-thin form): © Ben Meredyk, some rights reserved (CC-BY)
Photo Credit 6 (in the wild-thick form): © Rob Santry, some rights reserved (CC-BY)