Carried by 1 nurseries
View Availability at NurseryData provided by the participants of the Consortium of California Herbaria
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Chamaebatia foliolosa is a species of aromatic evergreen shrub in the rose family known by the common names mountain misery and bear clover. The Miwok tribe's name for this plant was kit-kit-dizze. This shrub is endemic to the mountains of California, where it grows in coniferous forests and oak forests. The stems are covered in dark brown bark. The foliage is made up of 3-pinnate leaves, meaning the frondlike leaves are made up of leaflets which in turn are made up of smaller leaflets which are also subdivided. The fernlike leaves are up to 10 centimeters long, frilly in appearance and dotted with sticky glands. The rose-like flowers have rounded white petals and yellow centers ringed with many stamens. Plant gained its common name by gold rush miners who tried to walk through its tangled stems, which can cause tripping and soaks pant legs in rainy conditions.
Perennial herb
5 - 18 in Tall
5 - 20 in Wide
Spreading
Moderate
Evergreen
White
Spring
Groundcover
Partial Shade
Never irrigate once established
Easy
Tolerates cold to 15° F
Medium
For propagating by seed: 3 mos. stratification. Easily propagated from underground stems.
1, 2, 3, 7*, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18
Coniferous forests, foothills, under oaks
Red Fir Forest, Yellow Pine Forest
Black oak (Quercus kelloggii), Toyon (Heteromeles arbutifolia), Manzanita species (Arctostaphylos), California lilac species (Ceanothus), Golden Fleece (Ericameria arborescens), Silver Lupine (Lupinus albifrons), Blue Dicks (Dipterostemon capitatus), California Cudweed (Pseudognaphalium californicum), Harvest Brodiaea (Brodiaea elegans), California Yerba Santa (Eriodictyon californicum), Chamise (Adenostoma fasciculatum), poisonoak (Toxicodendron diversilobum), Coyote Mint
(Monardella villosa), Maiden Clover (Trifolium microcephalum), Ribbed Fringepod (Thysanocarpus radians), Yellow Star Tulip (Calochortus monophyllus), Sulphur Pea (Lathyrus sulphureus), Sierra Hoary Coffeeberry (Frangula californica ssp. cuspidata).