Elizabeth Bush Anemone

Carpentaria californica ‘Elizabeth’

Other Names: Elizabeth Tree Anemone

Plant Details

USDA Cold Hardiness Zones: 8a-11 Find Your Zone

Plant Type: Evergreen Flowering Shrub

Height at Maturity: 5-6′, maybe 7′

Width at Maturity: 3′-4′
Spacing: 3′ for solid hedges; 7’+ for space between plants

Growth Rate: Moderate

Flower Color: White with Bright Yellow stamens

Flower Size: 3″

Flowering Period: Late Spring through Early Summer (May to July)

Flower Type: Single and Showy

Fragrant Flowers: Yes!

Foliage Color: Dark Green

Fragrant Foliage: No

Berries: No

Berry Color: NA

Sun Needs: Full Sun in cool-summer climates near the coast, Morning Sun with Afternoon Shade or Filtered Sun in inland hot-summer climates

Water Needs: Average, drought tolerant when established

Soil Type: Clay (amend heavy clay to ensure good drainage), Loam, Sand, Silt – grows best in a coarse quick-draining soil

Soil Moisture / Drainage: Moist But Well Drained, drought tolerant when established – does not tolerate wet soils, well drained soil is a must!

Soil pH: 6.0 – 8.0 (Acid)

Maintenance / Care: Low, Easy Care

Attracts: Butterflies, Beneficial Pollinators, Hummingbirds, Visual Attention

Resistances: Deer, Drought (when established, Dry Soil (when established), Heat

Description

Bush Anemone is an absolutely gorgeous North American native evergreen flowering shrub featuring beautiful flowers resembling those of perennial anemones. ‘Elizabeth’ is an incredibly floriferous cultivar on a more compact plant to 6 feet tall and 3 to 4 feet wide making it a good fit for smaller garden spaces or a narrow hedge. Especially free flowering, from late spring through early summer Elizabeth produces LOADS of sweetly scented 2″ single flowers with pure white petals surrounding a prominent boss of brilliant golden-yellow stamens. A multi-branched shrub with a more vertical habit than other Carpentaria, her showy branches with peeling bark are clothed in glossy dark green long and narrow lanceolate evergreen leaves up to 5 inches long. A great plant for butterflies, hummingbirds and beneficial pollinators. With superior drought and disease resistance and all its sensory appeal, what more can we ask from a native plant!

Some History…

‘Elizabeth’ was discovered by legendary bay area plantsman Wayne Roderick in 1971, who noted that he and a group of friends spent several days surveying all Carpenteria plants that they could get to and selected this one because it was “so different that it stood out far beyond the rest.” He noted that the flowers were smaller than typical but more numerous, that it had erect compact clusters holding over 20 flowers at the tips of each stem. Once brought into cultivation he further noted that the plant was more compact than the species and adapted itself much better to the residential landscape than others. It was named for botanist Elizabeth McClintock (1912–2004), longtime curator in the Department of Botany at the California Academy of Sciences.

Landscape & Garden Uses

Growing to approximately 4 to 6 feet tall and 3 to 4 feet wide, the Elizabeth Bush Anemone is ideal for use as a specimen. in groupings, or as a natural hedge or background plant in sunny to partially shaded garden beds, landscape borders and home foundation plantings. Especially nice around outdoor sitting and living spaces where the fragrant, pretty flowers and the hummingbirds and butterflies feeding can be enjoyed from close up. This one doesn’t really like growing in pots. If you do so, just make sure the drainage is good. A fine addition to white theme gardens, fragrance gardens, cottage gardens, coastal gardens, butterfly and hummingbird gardens and the Xeriscape (low water needs).

Suggested Spacing: 3 feet apart for solid hedge; 7 feet or more apart for space between plants

Growing Preferences

The Elizabeth Bush Anemone is easy to grow in a moist but very well draining soil of average fertility. It prefers a coarse, quick-draining, lightly acidic soil. It does not like wet feet at all. Constantly soggy or wet soil is a killer. Though it will tolerate full sun in cool-summer climates near the coast, in hot-summer climates it grows and blooms better in partial shade, with some shelter from the hot afternoon sun or all-day lightly filtered sun. This one is much happier in the ground than in containers. If you decide to grow it in a pot, make sure the soil drains well. Very low maintenance and not generally bothered by insects or disease if given good drainage. Though it is drought tolerant, it will keep a better appearance if provided some water during periods of extended drought.

Plant Long & Prosper!

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