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Malvaceae
Flannel Bush
Fremontodendron californicum
California gold.
- Family
- Malvaceae
- Genus
- Fremontodendron
- Native to
- California, Arizona, Baja California
- Bloom season
- Spring, Summer
- Type
- shrub
- Height
- 6-20 ft
- Sunlight
- full sun
- Soil
- dry, rocky, well-drained, poor
- Water
- low
- Hardiness
- 8-10
- Lifespan
- perennial
Did you know
- The showy yellow 'petals' are technically sepals — Fremontodendron has no true petals, and the golden display is entirely provided by five large, petal-like sepals.
- It is named after John C. Frémont, the American explorer and politician who collected botanical specimens during his expeditions through California in the 1840s.
- The entire plant is covered in tiny star-shaped hairs that can cause severe skin and respiratory irritation — handled without protection it causes 'flannel disease.'
- Flannel bush is drought-adapted to an extreme degree: summer water, especially around the roots, is often fatal, making it notoriously difficult to grow outside California.
- The genus Fremontodendron has just two species, both native to California's chaparral — it is one of the most California-specific of all flowering shrub genera.
Color meanings
0
brightness
1
natural wealth
2
resilience