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Garrya
Garrya is a genus of about 18 species of flowering plants in the family Garryaceae, native to North and Central America and the Caribbean. They are commonly referred to as silktassel.
They are evergreen dioecious wind-pollinated shrubs growing to 1-5 m tall. The leaves are arranged in opposite pairs, and are simple, leathery, dark green to gray-green, ovate, 3-15 cm long, with an entire margin and a short petiole. The flowers are gray-green catkins, short and spreading when first produced in late summer; the male catkins becoming long and pendulous in late winter when shedding pollen, 3-20 cm long; the female catkins usually a little shorter and less pendulous. The fruit is a round dry berry containing two seeds.
Cultivation and uses
Some species, notably Garrya elliptica, are widely cultivated in gardens for their foliage and the catkins produced in late winter. Male plants are more widely grown, as their catkins are longer and more attractive; one such cultivar, Garrya elliptica 'James Roof', has catkins up to 35 cm long. The hybrids Garrya × issaquahensis and Garrya × thuretii have been bred for garden planting.
Selected species
Garrya buxifolia is a species of flowering shrub known by the common names dwarf silktassel and boxleaf silktassel. It is native to Oregon and northern California, where it grows in forests and chaparral, especially in the coastal mountains and hills. This is an erect shrub approaching three meters in maximum height and generally not sprawling very wide. It has a thick foliage of oval-shaped leaves, each several centimeters long and about half as wide, green and shiny on the upper surface and paler and hairy on the underside. The inflorescence is a long, hanging cluster of flowers. The shrub is dioecious, with male and female plants producing similarly arranged inflorescences. Female flowers give way to hanging bunches or small clusters of fruits. The fruit is a spherical berry which is green when young and turns reddish to dark bluish-purple when ripe.
Garrya congdonii or Congdon silktassel, a fairly common evergreen shrub native to the coastal ranges of California, is one of a small biological family of approximately twenty known species in the family Garryaceae, most of which are Garrya. While the female and male sexual organs of Congdon silktassel are on separate plants, the pendant male catkins are much more showy. This plant is reasonably attractive and neat enough in its growing habit to be appealing as a landscape species. It is stocked commonly at commercial plant nurseries. All Garrya are associated with warm temperate regions of North America.
Garrya elliptica (Coast silk-tassel) is a common evergreen shrub native to the coastal ranges of California and southern Oregon, that reaches a height of two to five meters. It is one of a small biological family of approximately twenty known species in the family Garryaceae, most of which are Garrya. Female and male sexual organs of all the Garrya are found on separate plants. This is an example of a native plant that is sufficiently attractive and neat of growing habit to be appealing as a landscape species. It is stocked at many commercial plant nurseries, and is clearly a widely used Garrya for landscape purposes. This plant is sometimes known as Silk Tassel Bush or Wavyleaf Silktassel. All Garrya are associated with warm temperate regions of North America.
Garrya flavescens is a species of flowering shrub known by the common name ashy silktassel. It is native to the southwestern United States and Baja California, where it grows in many habitats, including dry forest, desert, and chaparral. This is a shrub reaching a maximum height approaching three meters. The leaves are oval-shaped, up to 7 or 8 centimeters long and about half as wide. The underside may be hairless to very hairy and pale dusty gray. The plant is dioecious, with both male and female plants producing long hanging clusters of flowers. Female flowers give way to bunches or clusters of spherical berries covered in hairs.
Garrya fremontii is a species of flowering shrub known by several common names, including Frémont's silktassel, bearbrush, and California fever bush. It is native to the west coast of the United States from Washington to California. It can be found in a number of habitats, from mountain forest to woodlands and chaparral canyons and slopes. This is a shrub reaching a maximum height of three to four meters. The leaves are oval-shaped, 2 to 12 centimeters long and about half as wide, and smooth green, rarely with hairs on the undersides. The plant is dioecious, with male and female plants producing long, hanging clusters of yellowish to pinkish flowers. The fruit is a spherical berry, starting green and turning pink and then purple. The fruit is eaten by birds and mammals, who disperse the seeds. The plant can also sprout from its root crown. Like many other chaparral species, it is quick to recover from wildfire.
Garrya veatchii is a species of flowering shrub known by the common names canyon silktassel and Veatch silktassel. It is native to the chaparral hills of southern California and Baja California. This is a small treelike or bushy shrub reaching maximum heights near two meters. It has oval-shaped leaves 3 to 9 centimeters long and about half as wide with margins flat, wavy, or slightly rolled, and undersides covered thinly to thickly in woolly hairs. It produces long, hanging inflorescences of light-colored flowers, those on female plants giving way to hanging clusters of fruits. The fruit is a spherical to egg-shaped berry covered in a soft coat of hairs.
Garrya salicifolia
Garrya laurifolia
Garrya fadyenii
Garrya ovata
Garrya wrightii
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