Frangula californica

The 1/8" greenish flowers occur in clusters in the leaf axils, have 5 sepals, and 5 shorter petals.[6] It blooms in May and June.[6] The fruit is a juicy drupe which may be green, red, or black. It is just under a centimeter long and contains two seeds that resemble coffee beans.

Frangula californica subsp. californica in flower

Ripening fruit

Subspecies of Frangula californica include:[7][8]

• Frangula californica subsp. californica — California coffeeberry; widespread in western California. Fruit with two seeds; twigs red; leaves with conspicuous veins.[9][10]
• Frangula californica subsp. crassifolia — serpentine hoary coffeeberry; endemic to the Inner North California Coast Ranges, on serpentine soils.[11]
• Frangula californica subsp. cuspidata — Sierra hoary coffeeberry; Southern Sierras, Transverse Ranges, Peninsular Ranges.[12]
• Frangula californica subsp. occidentalis — Western California coffeeberry; on serpentine soils in northern California and southwestern Oregon, in the Klamath Mountains and North California Coast Ranges. Fruit with three seeds; twigs brown; leaves with inconspicuous veins.[13][14]
• Frangula californica subsp. tomentella — hoary coffeeberry.[15][16]
• Frangula californica subsp. ursina — desert hoary coffeeberry; endemic to the San Bernardino Mountains and Mojave Desert sky islands.[17]

This plant is cultivated as an ornamental plant by plant nurseries, for planting in native plant, water conserving, and wildlife gardens; in large pots and containers; and in natural landscaping and habitat restoration projects.[18][19][20][21]

It is also used for erosion control, and is usually deer resistant.[7][19] As a pollinator plant it is of special value to native butterflies and bees.[18][22]

Cultivars of the species, for use as an ornamental plant, include:[23]

• Frangula (Rhamnus) californica 'Eve Case' — Eve Case coffeeberry; smaller and more compact (3-6' H x 3-4' W), with denser foliage and larger berries than species.[20][24] Introduced by the Saratoga Horticultural Foundation in 1975.[25]
• Frangula (Rhamnus) californica 'Leatherleaf' — Leatherleaf coffeeberry; with black-green foliage.[26]
• Frangula (Rhamnus) californica 'Mount San Bruno' — smaller leaves, more dense and compact, particularly tolerant of garden conditions.[20][27]
• Frangula (Rhamnus) californica ‘Seaview’ — a ground cover variety.[20]

Closeup of flower.

The berries are sometimes eaten, and the seeds inside have been used to make coffee substitute with limited success. The berries are edible according to the USDA. [28] However, the bark of cascara, another member of the genus Frangula, is toxic.[29]

Native Americans of the west coast of North America had several uses for the plant as food, and used parts of it as a traditional medicinal plant.[7] Several tribes of the indigenous peoples of California ate the fruit fresh or dried.[30]

The Ohlone people use the leaves to treat poison oak dermatitis.[30] The Kumeyaay people had similar uses for its bark.[30] The Kawaiisu used the fruit to treat wounds such as burns.[30] The bark has been widely used as a laxative by the indigenous peoples.[30]

Names for the plant in the Konkow language of the Concow tribe include pä and pö.[31]