Native Plant of the Month: Coast Silktassel
Take a walk among the Bay Area’s sage scrub hills in winter, and you may encounter a captivating sight: small oak trees festooned with hundreds of long, silvery tassels. In fact, these chandeliers of the chaparral are not oaks but coast silktassels (Garrya elliptica).
About Coast Silktassel
At first glance, silktassels look similar to oaks. Like many oak species, silktassels have waxy, leathery leaves that help them retain moisture in parched habitats. And they both make catkins - long, hanging clusters of flowers - that release pollen on the breeze.
One major difference between silktassels and oaks is that every oak tree has both male pollen-producing flowers and female fruit-bearing flowers. Meanwhile, each silktassel plant either only produces pollen or only bears fruit. The pollen-producing catkins are longer and more showy than the fruit-bearing ones.
Growing Coast Silktassel at Home
Coast silktassel is native to the Coast Ranges from Los Angeles to southern Oregon. They can be found in full sun or part shade in chaparral or mixed evergreen forests, and do well in dry conditions once established. Common companion plants include manzanita, hollyleaf cherry, toyon, oak, coffeeberry, and hummingbird sage.
Mature plants range from large shrubs to small trees typically between 6 to 16 feet (2 to 5 meters) tall. Their evergreen, glossy leaves and tidy, round form make them a popular choice for landscaping. They tend to be slow-growing in the first few years until they get established.
Where to Find Silktassel and Other Native Plants
Our nursery grows native plants including silktassels using seeds carefully sourced from local watersheds. Please note that because our silktassels are grown from seed, we cannot tell you whether they make the showier pollen-producing tassels or the shorter fruit-bearing ones.
See our latest inventory for online sales here:
By Stanley Gu, Ecologist
