Flannelbush

''Fremontodendron'', with the common names fremontia and flannelbush or flannel bush, is a genus of three known species of shrubs native to the Southwestern United States and northwest Mexico.

Taxonomy

They are within the botanical family Malvaceae. Formerly they were treated within the Sterculiaceae, tribe Fremontodendreae, together with the genus ''Chiranthodendron''. The genus ''Fremontodendron'' was named in dedication to John C. Frémont, who first collected it during an 1846 expedition to Alta California.

Description

The leaves have a leathery and fuzzy texture reminiscent of flannel (hence the name), and the yellow to orange flowers are large and showy. The leaves and young shoots can cause skin and eye irritation.

Species

There are three species:
* ''Fremontodendron californicum'' — Californian flannelbush
* ''Fremontodendron decumbens'' (R. Lloyd) — Pine Hill flannelbush
:: A decumbent and low spreading form, in height and in width, has yellow-orange flowers, and is endemic to the Sierra Nevada foothills, nearly all of the individuals of this subspecies are found in the Pine Hill Ecological Reserve in El Dorado County. In nature it only grows in metal-rich gabbro soil, a red weathered soil of volcanic origin. It requires fire for seed germination, but with the nature reserve is near human settlements fire ecology is suppressed. It is a federally listed endangered species.
* ''Fremontodendron mexicanum'' — Mexican flannelbush
:: Endemic to the central Peninsular Ranges, known from about ten occurrences in northern Baja California state and adjacent southern San Diego County, California. However, it has most recently been confirmed to exist in only two of those locales currently.California Native Plant Society Rare Plant Profile
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There are a number of populations of uncertain taxonomy status. They include:
*''Fremontodendron californicum'' ssp. ''napensis'' — Napa fremontia
::The current Jepson manual does not recognize this subspecies, using ''Fremontodendron californicum'', but the form is different enough that it is horticulturally recognized by this name. It is typically smaller and more open in form than the species, with much smaller leaves and flowers. It grows in height and in width.

Cultivation

''Fremontodendrons'' are cultivated as ornamental plants. They are valued for their bright yellow flowers, produced over a long period on a rapidly growing shrub or small tree. They are tolerant of pruning for size or shaping. They are adapted to dry, poor soils in a summer-dry, warm, sunny climate. They may succumb to root rot in heavy clay soils and/or summer irrigation.

The three species and varied hybrids/cultivars are used in native plant, water-conserving, and wildlife gardens in California. They are also planted in gardens in England.

Hybrids

There are several named hybrids of ''Fremontodendron californicum'' and ''Fremontodendron mexicanum'' in the horticultural trade, they include:
*''Fremontodendron'' 'California Glory' — lemon-yellow flowers with a reddish tinge, grows in height by in width. It is the winner of the Award of Garden Merit from the California Horticultural Society in 1965, and received a First Class Certificate from the Royal Horticultural Society in 1967.
*''Fremontodendron'' 'Ken Taylor' — golden flowers with a darker orange outside petals in the spring and summer, and grows to only in height by in width.
*''Fremontodendron'' 'Dara's Gold' — golden flowers over a long period from late winter through early summer, grows in height by in width. A hybrid between ''Fremontodendron decumbens'' and ''Fremontodendron mexicanum''.San Marcos Growers: Fremontodendron 'Dara's Gold'
/ref>

References

External links

CalFlora Database: Species of genus ''Fremontodendron''Malvaceae.info: Fremontodendreae webpages (''Fremontodendron'' and ''Chiranthodendron'')
— ''in the Pine Hill Ecological Reserve''

{{Taxonbar, from=Q2703645

Bombacoideae
Flora of California
Flora of Baja California
Flora of the Southwestern United States
Natural history of the California chaparral and woodlands
John C. Frémont
Malvaceae genera
Garden plants of North America
Drought-tolerant plants
Shrubs