Native Plant of the Month: Coffeeberry
When you first meet coffeeberry (Frangula californica), you may be underwhelmed, as its small flowers and ordinary leaves don’t attract much attention. But once you get to know this evergreen shrub better, you’ll find it to be one of your most dependable friends in the garden.
About Coffeeberry
Long before the arrival of Spanish and American settlers, indigenous people throughout California have found coffeeberry to be a helpful companion, and continue to cultivate a relationship with the plant today. Known as puruuriS in the Mutsun language, Ohlone and other tribes use the inner bark as a laxative and a treatment for poison oak rashes.
In late summer and fall, coffeeberry plants will adorn themselves with berries in varying shades of red and purple. They generously provide these juicy gifts to birds, deer, and other animals, who return the favor by spreading their seeds (which superficially resemble coffee beans) far and wide. However, we don’t recommend the berries for human consumption - they can cause vomiting and diarrhea in larger amounts!
Coffeeberry is also a favorite among the pollinator crowd. Despite having inconspicuous flowers, they are constantly abuzz with native bees during the spring and summer.
Growing Coffeeberry at Home
Coffeeberry is not picky. Coffeeberry plants happily reside in a variety of chaparral, woodland, and forest habitats ranging from full sun to part shade, and do not require much water once established. They get along well with oaks and are often found in the understory of these iconic native trees.
They are also forgiving. Prune them back hard or even coppice them all the way to the ground, and they will resprout with even more vibrant foliage. At maturity, they will typically reach 6-15 feet tall, but they are happy to be pruned into a smaller hedge or screen.
The slender, maroon stems and soft, dark green leaves of coffeeberry will bring an understated yet sophisticated presence to any garden. You will not regret inviting this elegant and adaptable native plant into your home.
Where to find Coffeeberry and Other Native Plants
Our nursery grows native plants including coffeeberry using seeds and cuttings carefully sourced from local watersheds. See our latest inventory for online sales here:
We will also be bringing a selection of our native plants to the California Native Plant Society, Santa Clara Valley Chapter’s Annual Native Plant Sale on Saturday, October 21st at Hidden Villa. Hope to see you there!
By Stanley Gu, Ecologist
