Description

This large member of the Buckthorn Family ranges from British Columbia to the mountains of central California. It grows in a range of conditions but seems to favor areas of high rainfall. Cascara sagrada grows as an upright shrub, sometimes to twenty feet or more, but more commonly to ten feet. The leaves are shiny green ovals with deep leaf veins. In the fall the leaves turn yellow, orange or red before they fall. Young stems are mahogany red and develop a silver tone like the closely related coffeeberry, Frangula californica. The small yellow flowers produce berries that mature to dark purple. Although cascara sagrada grows in a variety of settings in its native range, it probably should receive some shade protection in the afternoon. Supplemental irrigation may also help this rarely-planted shrub to thrive when planted south of its native range.