With bright yellow flowers and leaves felted with hairs, there is a sense of familiarity about this plant, and I wondered where the connection was. Interestingly, and well worth the look, it is related to the monkey hand-tree, Chiranthodendron pentadactylon, which is planted further down the hill in the Mexican plant collection.
Native to California, Arizona and Baja California in Mexico, the flannelbush has a history of medicinal and practical use in those regions.
In the home garden, Fremontodendron will grow best if planted in a warm sunny spot, in well-draining sandy soil. Note it is intolerant of summer watering, so plant near to — but not in — an area that is irrigated.
For some people the hairs from the leaves can irritate both skin and eyes, so it is best to keep this plant away from walkways, and when pruning wear gloves and, if sensitive to such things, eye protection as well.
The plant in the botanic garden is surrounded by an attractive ground cover of Vancouveria hexandra, the white inside-out flower – this also comes from western North America, but from further up the coast — Northern California to British Columbia.
- Garden Life is produced by the Dunedin Botanic Garden. For further information contact Tom Myers.
