california native flora

Rhamnus Californica ‘Bonita Linda’ – Bonita Linda Coffeeberry

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A trip to Santa Barbara Botanic Gardens last fall saw us arrive back home with a nice new Ceanothus Spinosus and a fine looking young Bonita Linda Coffeeberry. While it hasn’t boasted much growth to this point some sources state Rhamnus Californica to be a moderately fast grower in part shade. My wife and I have set it in a small area of the patio dedicated to songbirds. We have it close to the bird bath, under a seed feeder and a few feet away from another couple of berry sporting California native plants; Toyon and a Howard McMinn Manzanita. When we planted it, our Rhamnus Californica ‘Bonita Linda’ was sporting three distinct small branches, one of which died back pretty quickly. The other two look good but we are waiting for signs that it is happy in our chosen location.

In it’s preferred environment Bonita Linda Coffeeberry can grow as much as 8′ tall and about the same wide, if not wider. The flowers are insignificant but the berries it produces are very attractive although they are not recommended for human consumption. The thick foliage makes this a good shelter plant in a wildlife garden and it is also a handy hedge or screen plant. Once established Rhamnus Californica is drought tolerant.