Curl Leaf Mountain Mahogany (Cercocarpus)

Cercocarpus ledifolius (Curl-leaf Mountain Mahogany is the most widely distributed of the mountain-mahoganies, with a native range from southeastern Washington south to southern California and Baja California, and east to south-central Montana and western Colorado. Its native habitat includes high altitude desert areas and dry rocky slopes, where it thrives at high elevations of 4000-10,000 ft.

While it does not boast a showy floral display, its corkscrew-shaped plumes are a unique and attractive addition to borders, habitat gardens and xeriscapes. The tree fixes nitrogen and is good for revegetation and erosion control.

Curl-leaf Mountain Mahogany is a fascinating species that, despite its name, is not a true mahogany. True mahoganies belong to the Meliaceae family, whereas this shrubby, slow-growing tree is a member of the Rosaceae, or rose family. As the only broadleaf evergreen tree in the Intermountain West, Curl-leaf Mountain Mahogany provides a striking contrast to the typical conifers that dominate the landscape. This species is known for its incredible longevity with some trees being documented to be 1,350 years old!