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Rosaceae FAMILY

Adenostoma sparsifolium

Adenostoma sparsifolium

Edibility
1/5
Medicinal
2/5

Safety & Hazards

None known

Cultivation Details

HabitEvergreen Shrub
Growth—

Adenostoma sparsifolium grows in a Mediterranean climate, which is characterized by wet, mild winters and hot, dry summers[1]. Plants are not very hardy in colder, wetter climates - they do not withstand exposure to prolonged winter frosts, especially if the weather is also wet[2, 3]. In colder areas they are best tried against a sunny wall wall, especially one shaded from early morning sun[3]. Requires a sheltered sunny position in a well-drained soil[2, 3] and protection from cold winds[3]. Plants are usually found in the wild on shallow, well-drained soils, usually fine-textured, occasionally coarse[4]. The leaves are resinous and catch fire easily[5]. They have a pleasant aroma[3]. Plants have a modest rate of growth. Plants established by planting bareroot shrubs 1 - 3 years old in the Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden, California, showed over 47% survival after 11 years. Nine years after transplanting, they were 4 metres tall and had a 3 metre canopy spread[1]. Seedlings planted in the San Dimas Experimental Forest in the Santa Monica Mountains showed 100% survival after 4 years, and were 120 - 180cm tall at that time[1]. The plant has a large lignotuber from which it can resprout freely if the plant is cut back by fire, grazing, coppicing etc[1].

Propagation

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in containers in the greenhouse. Viability is of short duration and can be quite low, in some cases as low as 0 - 4%[4]. Seedlings reach a height of around 5cm within 4 - 6 months of germinating, and can then be potted into individual pots. Cuttings could be tried in August of half-ripe wood, preferably with a heel, in a frame. Greenwood cuttings in the spring have been successful[4]. Layering. Cite as: Temperate Plants Database, Ken Fern. temperate.theferns.info. 2026-02-20. <temperate.theferns.info/plant/Adenostoma+sparsifolium>

Pollinators

Insects

References

  1. [1]Homeopathic Materia Medica — William Boericke, M.D. · http://www.homeoint.org/books/boericmm/index.htm ↩︎An on-line version of the book
  2. [2]Ornamental Shrubs, Climbers and Bamboos. — Thomas. G. S. · Murray · 1992 · ISBN 0-7195-5043-2 ↩︎Contains a wide range of plants with a brief description, mainly of their ornamental value but also usually of cultivation details and varieties.
  3. [3]The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. — Huxley. A. · MacMillan Press · 1992 · ISBN 0-333-47494-5 ↩︎Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
  4. [4]Fire Effects Information System — http://www.feis-crs.org/feis/ ↩︎An on-line information site with comprehensive information on over 1,100 species of plant. Mainly developed to supply information on the effects of fire on plants and animals, it also contains a wealth of other information on the plants
  5. [5]Meet Flora Mexicana. — Pesman. M. W. · Dale S. King. Arizona. · 1962 · ISBN - ↩︎Very readable flora but rather lacking botanically. A few notes on useful plants.
  6. [6]Flora of N. America — http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/fna/ ↩︎An on-line version of the flora with an excellent description of the plant including a brief mention of plant uses.
  7. [7]Flora of California — http://www.calflora.org ↩︎An on-line database of the Californian flora, giving details on plant habitats and photos of the plants.
  8. [8]Native American Ethnobotany — Moerman. D. · Timber Press. Oregon. · 1998 · ISBN 0-88192-453-9 ↩︎Very comprehensive but terse guide to the native uses of plants. Excellent bibliography, fully referenced to each plant, giving a pathway to further information. Not for the casual reader.
  9. [PFAF]Plants for a Future — pfaf.org ↩︎