Laurel Sumac, Malosma laurina

About Laurel Sumac (Malosma laurina) 22 Nurseries Carry This Plant

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Laurel Sumac (Malosma laurina) is a member of the Anacardaceae (Cashew) family that is common along the southern California and Baja California coasts from San Luis Obispo County southward. It is a key member of coastal sage scrub and chaparral ecosystems. The name "laurel" was chosen because the foliage is reminiscent of bay laurel, which is an otherwise unrelated small tree of the Mediterranean region.

Laurel Sumac is a large, rounded evergreen shrub or small tree. In bloom, it is intensely aromatic and gives a characteristic odor to chaparral. The lance-shaped leaf blades have reddish veins and stems.

The very small flowers have five white petals and five-lobed green sepals. Large clusters of these flowers occur at the ends of twigs in late spring and early summer. The clusters are 3 to 6 inches long and are reminiscent of lilac. Each whitish single-seeded fruit has a smooth, flattish stone inside.

This plant is very drought adapted but not cold tolerant and is not found in areas where freezing temperatures are normal. This plant is a necessity for the Southern California chaparral garden, and it is great for birds and wildlife.

Plant Description

Plant Type

Shrub

Size

10 - 20 ft tall
20 ft wide

Form

Rounded

Growth Rate

Fast

Dormancy

Evergreen

Fragrance

Fragrant - Pleasant

Flower Color

Cream, White

Flowering Season

Winter, Spring

Wildlife Supported

Numerous insects and birds
Bird gardens

Butterflies & moths hosted ( 9 confirmed

, 9 likely * ) SHOW ALL

Ceanothus Silkmoth Hyalophora euryalusHyalophora euryalus

Walter's Silkmoth Saturnia walterorumSaturnia walterorum

Dichorda illustrariaDichorda illustraria

Cochisea sinuariaCochisea sinuaria

Western Avocado Leafroller Moth Amorbia cuneanaAmorbia cuneana

Gloveria medusaGloveria medusa

Paectes declinataPaectes declinata

Landscaping Information

Sun

Full Sun

Moisture

Extremely Low

Summer Irrigation

Max 1x / month once established

Nurseries

Carried by 22

Ease of Care

Very Easy

Cold Tolerance

Tolerates cold to 35° F

Soil Drainage

Fast

Soil Description

Typically prefers well drained soil, sandy or rocky. Soil PH: 6.0 - 8.0

Common uses

Bank Stabilization, Hedges, Bird Gardens

Companion Plants

Many companions including Chamise (Adenostoma fasciculatum), Manzanita (Arctostaphylos sp.), Ceanothus spp., Coyote Bush (Baccharis pilularis), San Diego Viguiera (Bahiopsis laciniata), Barberry (Berberis spp.), Mountain Mahogany (Cercocarpus betuloides or C. minutiflorus), Bushrue (Cneoridium dumosum), Summer Holly (Comarostaphylis diversifolia), Tree Poppy (Dendromecon rigida), California Brittlebush (Encelia californica), Goldenbush (Ericameria spp.), Yerba Santa (Eridoctyon sp.p), Buckwheat (Eriogonum sp.), Flannelbush (Fremontodendron sp.), Silk Tassel Bush (Garrya spp.), Toyon (Heteromeles arbutifolia), Pitcher Sage (Lepechinia spp.), Bush Mallow (Malacothamnus spp.), Sticky Monkeyflower (Mimulus aurantiacus), Hollyleaf Cherry (Prunus ilicifolia), Oaks (Quercus spp.), Lemonade Berry (Rhus integrifolia), Wild Currant (Ribes spp.), Sage (Salvia spp.), Woolly Bluecurls (Trichotema lanatum), Mission Manzanita (Xylococcus bicolor), and many others

Propagation?

For propagating by seed: Hot water or oven heat of 200° to 240°F for 5 minutes. (Wright 1931).

Sunset Zones?

14, 15, 16, 17*, 19, 20*, 21*, 22*, 23*, 24*

Natural Setting

Site Type

Slopes, canyons, bluffs, marine terraces and other areas where coastal sage scrub or chaparral are found

Climate

Annual Precipitation: 2.7" - 44.8", Summer Precipitation: 0.14" - 2.07", Coldest Month: 33.4" - 58.3", Hottest Month: 62.4" - 88.4", Humidity: 0.74" - 38.92", Elevation: -180" - 6508"

Alternative Names

Botanical Names: Rhus laurina
Common Names: Lentisco (spanish)

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Sources include: Wikipedia. All text shown in the "About" section of these pages is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Plant observation data provided by the participants of the California Consortia of Herbaria, Sunset information provided by Jepson Flora Project. Propogation from seed information provided by the Santa Barbara Botanical Garden from "Seed Propagation of Native California Plants" by Dara E. Emery. Sources of plant photos include CalPhotos, Wikimedia Commons, and independent plant photographers who have agreed to share their images with Calscape. Other general sources of information include Calflora, CNPS Manual of Vegetation Online, Jepson Flora Project, Las Pilitas, Theodore Payne, Tree of Life, The Xerces Society, and information provided by CNPS volunteer editors, with special thanks to Don Rideout. Climate data used in creation of plant range maps is from PRISM Climate Group, Oregon State University, using 30 year (1981-2010) annual "normals" at an 800 meter spatial resolution.

Links: Jepson eFlora Taxon Page CalPhotos Wikipedia Calflora

Laurel Sumac

Malosma laurina

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Laurel SumacMalosma laurina

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Laurel Sumac

Malosma laurina