Plant Type

Shrub

 

Height Range

3-6'

 

Flower Color

White

 

Flower Season

Summer

 

Leaf Color

Green, Light Green

 

Bark Color

Red

 

Fruit Color

n/a

 

Fruit Season

n/a

Sun

Full, Half

 

Water

Very Low, Low

 

Growth Rate

Moderate

 

Soil Type

Sandy, Clay, Loam, Rocky, Unparticular

 

Soil Condition

Average, Rich, Poor, Well-drained, Dry

 

Soil pH

Neutral, Basic

 

Adverse Factors

Attracts Bees

Design Styles

English Cottage, Formal, Mediterranean, Ranch

 

Accenting Features

Fragrance, Showy Flowers, Unusual Foliage

 

Seasonal Interest

Summer

 

Location Uses

Perennial Border, Shrub Border, Foundation, Patio, Walls / Fences

 

Special Uses

Hedge, Small Spaces

 

Attracts Wildlife

Birds, Butterflies

Fernbush is a wonderful Utah native, well suited to urban life. It has an upright, rounded form, growing about 3 to 5 feet tall. Bright green foliage emerges in the spring, and as the name suggests, has a fern-like appearance. foliage has a lemony-pine scent when bruised. Mid-summer sees clusters of white flowers appearing at the ends of branches. Bark is red and shreddy. Though not typically evergreen in our region, it holds its foliage late into the autumn. Use in the shrub or foundation border, as an informal hedge, or near the veggie garden as a pollinator-attractor.

Grow in well drained soil and in full sun to part shade. It is adaptive to a wide range of soil types, including heavy clay soils and poor soils. Flowers attract native bees, butterflies, and and other beneficial insects. Very drought tolerant once established. Prune hard, nearly to the ground, in late winter to keep the form tidy and to produce lots of branches for flowering. Cold hardy to -25f.