N/E/X/T/Garden:  Featured Native Plant

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Lyonothamnus floribundus aspleniifolius (Fernleaf Ironwood)
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Identifying Characteristics:
Grows to 20’-50’ high and 15’-20’ wide
Leaves are rich-green and fernlike (pinnatifid)
Bark is peeling and reddish-brown, aging to light-gray (which can be removed to reveal reddish underbark)
Flowers are very small and borne in large umbels from late-spring to early-summer, aging from creamy-white to rust to dark-brown
 
 
Landscape Values:
Moderate to fast growth rate
Minimal root-heaving of concrete at least two feet away (with deep watering)
Upright habit with strong branches
Lacy evergreen foliage filters light, casting dappled shade; leaf-drop forms an attractive mulch
Can be clustered for greater impact (as a grove)
Some choose to remove old (dark-brown) umbels
 
Horticultural Requirements:
Full to part sun
Moderate water (summer water @ coast is O.K.)
Good drainage
Neutral to acidic soil
​Basal suckers should be pruned away whenever they occur, before they become woody
Structural (drop) pruning is best done in late-summer, if desired, to remove lower branches for clearance/form
 
Native Range:
Santa Cruz, Santa Rosa, San Clemente Islands (nearby mainland distribution 6-19 million years ago)
 
Uses by Native Americans:
The (very) hard wood was used for tools

For more information about the N/E/X/T/Garden, where this Featured Native Plant grows, click here.
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For additional information about this Featured Native Plant, email:  Info@PalisadesBeautiful.org.