Purshia stansburyana
Purshia stansburyana
Safety & Hazards
None known
Cultivation Details
Purshia stansburyana is native to the semi-arid regions of western north America. It is unlikely to succeed outdoors in any but the mildest areas of the temperate zone, probably enjoying a mediterranean-type climate with hot, dry summers and mild winters. Requires a sunny position in a well-drained soil[1]. Prefers a calcareous soil[2]. Established plants are drought resistant[3]. Covered with its whitish, fragrant flowers, the plant is beautiful when in full bloom and should be an attractive ornamental[4, 3]. The flowers are fragrant[1]. Plants are slow-growing and moderately long-lived, 40 - 45 years being an average lifespan[3]. Plants first produce seed at about age 5 years, and produce a good seed crop about every 2 years. There is often more than one seed set per season[3]. The roots of species in this genus are often associated with the nitrogen-fixing actinomycete Frankia[5]. This species is easily inoculated with nitrogen-fixing bacteria in the laboratory, but root infection by nitrogen-fixing bacteria does not always occur naturally. In the field the number of nodule clusters on roots differed from plant to plant, site to site, and year to year[3]. This species hybridizes in the wild with Purshia tridentata, Purshia glandulosa, and rarely with Fallugia paradora. Hybrid swarms of Purshia stansburyana X Purshia tridentata are common in Utah, and hybrid swarms of Purshia stansburyana X Purshia glandulosa are common in Utah, Nevada, and southern California[3].
Propagation
Seed requires overwinter stratification (or 1 - 2 months cold stratification in the laboratory) and germinates in spring. Soil-stored seed remains viable for 5 - 16 years. There is no light requirement for germination, and seeds germinate under a wide range of temperatures. Fifteen to 100% germination has been reported in the laboratory depending upon treatment and, probably, seed source. Field germination probably rarely exceeds 60% even under optimal conditions. Germination rates are usually higher in seed produced early in the season than in later-maturing seed, and seed on current-year growth may fail to mature[3]. Cite as: Temperate Plants Database, Ken Fern. temperate.theferns.info. 2026-02-21. <temperate.theferns.info/plant/Purshia+stansburyana>
Pollinators
Insects
References
- [1]New Trees — Grimshaw J.; Bayton R.; Wilks H. · Kew Publishing; London · 2009 · ISBN 1842461737 ↩︎Provides comprehensive botanical descriptions and horticultural commentary on over 800 tree species that have been introduced to cultivation in recent decades.
- [2]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.
- [3]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
- [4]Manual of the Trees of N. America. — Sargent. C. S. · Dover Publications Inc. New York. · 1965 · http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/ · ISBN 0-486-20278-X ↩︎Two volumes, a comprehensive listing of N. American trees though a bit out of date now. Good details on habitats, some details on plant uses. Not really for the casual reader. It can be downloaded from the internet.
- [5]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.
- [6]IUCN Red List of Threatened Species — http://www.iucnredlist.org/ ↩︎A list of plants under threat and facing possible extinction, usually with brief details of the threats and information on habitat.
- [7]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.
- [8]Trees and Shrubs of Mexico — Standley P.C. · Smithsonian Institution; Washington · 1926 ↩︎Although dated, it contains a wealth of information on the trees and shrubs of Mexico, including many of their uses. It can be downloaded from the Internet.