Ocean spray

Ocean spray is a fast-growing deciduous shrub with many spreading, arched stems. The slender gray stems can extend up to 5 meters in length, though typically the shrub only grows to about 2 meters tall. The lush foliage is composed of many small coarsely toothed leaves. The veined leaves are 5-9 centimeters long and 4-7 centimeters broad, downy on the upper side and densely haired on the underside. During the flowering season, the entire plant is covered in a cascade of small cream flowers. The cream flowers bloom from drooping panicles — reddish stems with many flowers connected to them. The tiny, scented flowers have many protruding filaments, which extend beyond the white petals. The fruit is a woolly achene, a dry, single-seeded fruit.

Basic Information

• Member of the Rosaceae, or rose, family

• Fast-growing deciduous shrub

• There are four recognized varieties:

  • Holodiscus discolor var. cedrorum

  • Holodiscus discolor var. discolor

  • Holodiscus discolor var. glabrescens

  • Holodiscus discolor var. microphyllus

Habitat

• Native to the Pacific Northwest, from southern Mexico north to British Columbia and from California east to Colorado

  • In California, it is found primarily along the coast and the interior of the Sierra Nevadas

• Found in a wide range of shady habitats including chaparral and coastal forests, such as redwood, douglas fir and oak forests

Ecological Role

• Supports a number of butterflies including the swallowtail, azure, and Lorquin's admiral

• Provides protective habitat for mammals, amphibians, and nesting birds

• Pollinated by hummingbirds, bees, and other insects

Reproduction

• Blooms from late April to August

• Seed mainly dispersed by wind

Alternative Names

• Oceanspray, creambush, Hillside Ocean-spray, Cream Bush, Mountain Spray, ironwood

Historical Uses

• The Native Americans had many uses for ocean spray

  • The hard wood was used for making tools such as sewing needles, arrows, fish hooks, and canoe paddles

    • The wood was often heated over the fire to increase the hardness

    • Wood was then polished using horsetail fern stems

  • Flexible branches woven into baby baskets

• Ocean spray was also used medicinally:

  • Infusion of bark used for eye wash

  • Poultice of leaves applied to sore feet or lips

  • Decoction of leaves used to treat flues

Additional Information

• Early European pioneers made pegs from the wood when low on iron nails