Holodiscus discolor Calflora

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Taxon Report

Holodiscus discolor (Pursh) Maxim.

Cream bush, Ocean spray, Oceanspray

Holodiscus discolor is a shrub that is native to California, and also found elsewhere in western North America.


	Plant Range Observation Search ~3323 records in California Plant Characteristics

Bloom Period

Photos on Calflora


Subspecies and Varieties:
... var. cedrorum ... var. discolor ... var. glabrescens ... var. microphyllus
Genus:	Holodiscus
Family:	Rosaceae
Category:	angiosperm
PLANTS group:	Dicot
Jepson eFlora section: eudicot

Wetlands: Occurs usually in non wetlands, occasionally in wetlands

Ultramafic affinity: 1 - weak indicator / indifferent

Habitat: slopes

Communities: Redwood Forest, Douglas-Fir Forest, Yellow Pine Forest, Red Fir Forest, Lodgepole Forest, Mixed Evergreen Forest, Chaparral, wetland-riparian

Name Status:
Accepted by JEF + PLANTS + POWO

Alternate Names:


PLANTS	Holodiscus boursieri
PLANTS	Holodiscus discolor ssp. franciscanus
PLANTS	Holodiscus discolor var. ariaefolius
PLANTS	Holodiscus discolor var. delnortensis
PLANTS	Holodiscus discolor var. franciscanus
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Information about Holodiscus discolor from other sources


Nursery availability from CNPLX This plant is available commercially. Jepson eFlora USDA PLANTS Profile (HODI) Photos on Calflora Photos on CalPhotos Google Images Photos on iNaturalist ID Tips on PlantID.net	ITIS Original Publication citation International Plants Names Index Search efloras.org (Flora of North America) Landscape information from Calscape BONAP Distribution Map Consortium of California Herbaria 2 Search the Native American Ethnobotany Database	Add an Observation Location Suitability Planting Guide Distribution by County
The effects of climate change on wild plant life cycles: "Comox indians use oceanspray ... flowering as an indicator of the best time to dig for butter clams" (Susan Mazer, PhD, Liz Matthews, PhD, National Park Service) photos / record / common / links

Suggested Citation

Calflora: Information on California plants for education, research and conservation, with data contributed by public and private institutions and individuals. [web application]. 2025. The Calflora Database [a non-profit organization]. Available: https://www.calflora.org/ (Accessed: 03/30/2025).