Botanical Name: Cercocarpus montanus
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Common Name: Alderleaf Mountain Mahogany  
Plant photo of: Cercocarpus montanus
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Water Saving Tip:

Replace turf with groundcovers, trees, and shrubs. If you have areas where no one uses the grass, patches that do not grow well, or a turf area too small to water without runoff, consider replacing the turf with water-efficient landscaping.

  • Anatomy

  • Culture

  • Design

Plant Type

Shrub

 

Height Range

6-12'

 

Flower Color

White

 

Flower Season

Winter, Spring, Summer

 

Leaf Color

Dark Green

 

Bark Color

Brown, Grey

 

Fruit Color

White

 

Fruit Season

Winter, Fall

Sun

Full

 

Water

Very Low

 

Growth Rate

Moderate

 

Soil Type

Sandy, Clay, Loam, Rocky, Unparticular

 

Soil Condition

Average, Poor, Well-drained, Dry

 

Soil pH

Neutral, Basic

 

Adverse Factors

n/a

Design Styles

Meadow, Mediterranean, Ranch, Spanish, Woodland

 

Accenting Features

n/a

 

Seasonal Interest

Spring, Summer

 

Location Uses

Background, Shrub Border, With Rocks

 

Special Uses

Erosion Control, Filler, Hedge, Screen

 

Attracts Wildlife

n/a

Information by: Stephanie Duer
Photographer: Mountain States Nursery

  • Description

  • Notes

Alderleaf Mountain Mahogany is a smaller relative of the Curl-leaf Mountain mahogany, growing 4 to 6 feet tall and wide. It is fine textured, with small dark green leaves and gray brown bark. Fall color is tan to brown. Growth is upright and irregular. Fuzzy corkscrew shaped fruits develop in fall and winter.
A Utah native, found in shrub steppe, mountain brush, and pinyon-juniper plant communities. Adaptive to many soil types, as long as it is well drained. Medium to high drought tolerance. Water regularly to establish, and then infrequently. In prolonged droughts it may drop its foliage, but can fully recover when moisture returns. Plant in full sun.