oceanspray

Holodiscus discolor

Family: Rosaceae.

Type: Deciduous shrub.

Branching: Alternate.

Leaves: Leaf shape is distinctive. The margin closest to the petiole is entire, and the leaf is widest at the base. The more distal margin is toothed or lobed, and these become smaller as the leaf narrows to a point. The overall leaf shape is therefore somewhat like a diamond. Leaves are hairy and soft on both sides.

Twig: See photos; not discussed.

Fruit & Flower: Inflorescences are terminal (at the end of a twig). In the fall they are dried and brown-looking, but earlier in the year they are much more evident, with small white flowers that look like a wave crashing; this is where the name comes from.

Miscellaneous: Found in woodlands such as oak woodlands and mixed evergreen forest, and at the moister end of chaparral. Found in coastal areas and cliffs in the Pacific Northwest; its presence in the Santa Cruz mountains is near the southern extent of its range.