The Wild Garden: Hansen's Northwest Native Plant Database

Cercocarpus betuloides (Birch Leaf Mountain Mahogany, Alder Leaf Mahogany)

Kingdom	:	Plantae – Plants
Subkingdom	:	Tracheobionta – Vascular plants
Superdivision	:	Spermatophyta – Seed plants
Division	:	Magnoliophyta – Flowering plants
Class	:	Magnoliopsida – Dicotyledons
Subclass	:	Rosidae
Order	:	Rosales
Family	:	Rosaceae – Rose family
Genus	:	Cercocarpus Kunth – mountain mahogany
Species	:	Cercocarpus montanus Raf. – alderleaf mountain mahogany
Variety	:	Cercocarpus montanus Raf. var. glaber (S. Watson) F.L. Martin – birchleaf mountain mahogany

The leaves of this Mountain Mahogany truly are rounded and deeply veined like Birch or Alder leaves. They are dark green and leathery with silky hairs underneath.

This tree is semi-evergreen in the Rocky Mountain region, and evergreen when found in its native southern Oregon location.

It does well in USDA 3-10.

This is a tough, draught tolerant, sun-loving tree, which will reach 25’ and become very sculptural.

Birch Leaf Mahogany bears single cream cup shaped flowers followed in fall by attractive upright twisted plume like seed heads.

This tree is a welcome addition in a dry spot needing a touch of green.

Photo above courtesy of National Park Service.

Drawing above by Marci Degman

Photo, left, credit: Tortie tude; Photo, center, credit: Raffi Kojian, http://www.Gardenology.org; Photo, right, credit: National Park Service

Photo, left, credit: Lazaregagnidze; Photo, center, credit: Julia Lynam, National Park Service; Photo, right, credit: Dinkum