Littleleaf Mountain Mahogany (Cercocarpus)

(5-6′ tall x 4-5′ wide) A member of the rose family, Littleleaf Mountain Mahogany (Cercocarpus intricatus) is a durable, small to medium sized native shrub that is excellent for dry area plantings. The bush can be sheared like boxwood to create tidy hedges. Found growing in the wild primarily in western Colorado, Utah, northern Arizona, and Central California, this densely branched, slow-growing shrub is a versatile plant for landscape design, and can thrive in harsh conditions; root nodules host nitrogen-fixing bacteria, an important characteristic for plants growing in soils with low fertility. Plant with full sun in all soil types including dry clay. Extremely xeric once established, Littleleaf Mountain Mahogany is slow-growing and requires no irrigation after about two years of growth. In wetter conditions the plants will be lusher with a more open habit; plants are dense and shorter in very dry sites. Its pest-free, seldom browsed by deer in cultivated situations, and requires almost no care once established. An excellent xeric companion for Schizachyrium (Little Bluestem grass), Rhus ‘Gro-Low’ (Sumac) and Mirabilis (Wild Four O’clock). Introduced by Plant Select waterwise, garden-tested plants proven to thrive in the high plains and intermountain west for more beauty, with less work.