Cascara (Rhamnus purshiana)

Cascara trees make wonderful little shade trees for small spaces, and are a powerful wildlife resource! In the Spring Cascara trees are adorned with tiny greenish yellow flowers that are mostly unnoticed by humans, but bees find them irresistible. Blooming Cascara trees are always loudly humming with the sound of bees. It is a rich food source for pollinators including Hummingbirds! It is also a host plant for quite a few Moths and Butterflies including Swallowtail and Grey Hairstreak Butterflies. In the Summer the flowers give way to beautiful berries that all seem to ripen at different times creating a beautiful mosaic of different colors (green, red, and purple) that flash as the wind blows through the branches. Cascara is a year around resource for song birds - providing a bounty of insects and berries for them to feed on and a fantastic place to nest and roost, even after the leaves have dropped for Winter.

Cascara is tolerant of many different growing conditions. It is commonly found in the wild along stream banks and in dry shady forests. It prefers moist soil but can be quite drought tolerant when grown with some shade. It can tolerate full sun, but will need to to receive deep watering every once and a while ( 3-5 wks depending on weather). Drought tolerance can be increased with 3-4" of wood chip mulch and/or shade - part shade, or native ground cover companion plants to keep the roots cool.

Each seed packet contains 15 seeds and germination instructions are included.

Cascara at a glance

• Ave. growth dimensions - 30 ft tall x 20 ft wide
• Dormancy - Winter deciduous
• Plant type - Small tree or large shrub
• Sun - Sun - part shade
• Water - Moist - moderate in full sun,  dry shade
• Flowering time - April - June
• Flower color - Yellow and greenish
• Soil preference - Adaptable, prefers well draining soil high in organic material