Landscape Plants

• Broad-leaved evergreen shrub/tree.  Two, or possibly three, species (F. californicum, F. mexicanum, and possibly F. decumbens).   Leaves alternate, unlobed or palmately 3-, 5-, or 7-lobed.  Flowers solitary, showy, calyx petaloid, 5-lobed, petals absent.  Native to Arizona, California and Mexico.
• F. californicum    Common Flannel Bush:  to 20 ft (6 m) tall, spreading, foliage and flowers mostly on short branchlets.  Leaves to 5-10 cm long, leathery, unlobed to 3-lobed, 1-3 veined at base, margin entire, dull green above, gray-white, densely pubescent below.  Flowers 3.5-6 cm wide, petal-like sepals are lemon-yellow, bloom all at one time, early summer.  Native to California, eastward into central Arizona, and southward to Baja California, Mexico.  Hardy to USDA Zone 8.
  Two subspecies:
  • F. c. subsp. decumbens - Eldorado or Pine Hill Flannel Bush - prostrate, 2 ft x 10 ft (0.6 x 3 m), copper colored flowers, sometime considered a separate species.
  • F. c. subsp. napense - small-leaved, to 2.5 cm, flowers, small, to 3 cm wide, often rose tinged.  (syn. ? F. c. ssp. californicum)
• F. mexicanum    Southern Flannel Bush:  similar to F. californicum but has 5-lobed leaves and narrower sepals.  Grows to about 6 m, stiff branches, yellow bark becoming dark.  Leaves 2.5-7 cm, cordate, 5-7 veined at base, shallowly lobed, sparsely pubescent above, densely tawny-tomentose below.  Flowers almost obscured by foliage, about 6-9 cm wide, orange-yellow, becoming red at base outside; blooms for a longer period than F. californicum, but less effective because flowers hidden by leaves.  Native to southern California (now restricted to one site in Sand Diego County) and Baja California, Mexico.  Hardy to USDA Zone 9.

Several selections:

• 'California Glory' - (F. californicum × F. mexicanum) - fast growing, may reach 20 ft (6 m) or more, leaves 5-lobed, prolific bloomer, flowers lemon tinged with red on exterior, flat, shell-shaped.  Most common cultivar.  Hardy to USDA Zone 8.
• 'Ken Taylor - (F. decumbens × 'California Glory') - low growing, to 5 ft (1.5 m) tall, greater width, flowers cup-shaped, orange-yellow.  Hardy to USDA Zone 8.
• 'Pacific Sunset' - flowers 9-10 cm wide, deep orange-yellow, peak bloom in late spring, sporadic later.  Hardy to USDA Zone 9.
• 'San Gabriel' - similar to 'California Glory' but leaves more deeply cut

• Sun, well-drained soil with low to moderate fertility.  Needs little or no water in summer.  Prune to shape.  Short lived.
• Hardy to USDA Zone 8 or 9, depending upon species or cultivar.