February Plant of the Month: Coffeeberry, Frangula californica
Written by Lisa Endicott, Horticulture Manager
February 2023
The Plant of the Month for February is chosen by Samantha Long, one of Turtle Bay’s Gardeners at the Botanical Gardens. Sam likes that our native Coffeeberry shrubs are extremely versatile; they are evergreen and can be very dense but still have a lot of movement to them. She cites that they are also drought-tolerant and have a round berry (black when completely ripe) that looks just like the berry of a coffee plant.
California native Coffeeberry has a wide distribution area throughout California and southern Oregon. It can also be found in parts of Nevada, Arizona, and New Mexico. Several subspecies of coffeeberry grow in more limited ranges. Our local native Coffeeberry is an open evergreen large shrub often found growing under oak trees and in understory forested locations.
Local Coffeeberry shrub growing as an understory plant near one of the walking trails around Shasta Lake
Coffeeberry leaves up-close on a Coffeberry shrub in the Botanical Gardens
Coffeeberry berries are edible for wildlife, but for human consumption, there are many conflicting reports from reliable sources about the safety of eating coffeeberry fruit. Traditionally, indigenous tribes used coffeeberry berries as a purgative to treat constipation caused by acorn food products, which were a staple for many native people.
Beyond the qualities that make it a good choice as a beautiful evergreen garden plant, Coffeeberry is an important wildlife habitat plant. The berries are food sources for birds and other wildlife. The leaves are browsed by deer and other animals in late fall/winter when many other plant leaves are dried up for the year.
Coffeeberry cultivar ‘Eve Case’ in Willow Pond plantings at Turtle Bay’s Botanical Gardens
Coffeeberry ‘Eve Case’ leaf close-up
Caring for Coffeeberry Frangula californica in our area:
Prefers growing in areas with afternoon shade
Grows best in well-draining soil
If you don’t have well-draining soil, create small (or large) raised planting areas
Water weekly in summer until established (1-2 years), then water occasionally
