Showy and dramatic! This lovely shrub is reminiscent of an ocean wave crashing on the rocks.
Holodiscus discolor
OceanSpray
Description:
Shrub with stiff slender stems. Young stems somewhat hairy and reddish, turn gray with age.
Leaves: alternate, 1–5 inches long, oval or somewhat triangular, deeply veined; the petiole, or leafstalk, is round with no flat edges.
Flowers: Fragrant leafless sprays of white to cream flowers, fading to tan in late summer. Flowers remain on the shrub through most of the winter.
Flowers are less than 1/8” in size, each a tiny saucer-shaped cup of 5 petals with hairs on outer surface and hairless on the inside.
Grows in rocky open places to moist woods, from sea level to mid-elevations.
Rarity: Common
Flowering Time: Late Spring, Early Summer
Life Cycle: Perennial
Height: 4--9 feet
Habitat: Coastal, Meadow, West-Side Forest, East-Side Forest
Found In: Olympic Np, Mt. Rainier Np, N Cascades Np, Wallowas, Steens, Siskiyous, West Gorge
Native: Yes
Source: Wildflowers of the Pacific Northwest
Additional Resource: Oregon Flora Project