Distribution: Occurring west of the Cascades crest along the outer coast in Washington; coastal Vancouver Island, British Columbia to California.
Habitat: Hillsides and sandy areas near the coast.
Flowers: April-May
Origin: Native
Growth Duration: Perennial
Conservation Status: Not of concern
Pollination: Wind
Monoecious, evergreen shrub 2-6 m. tall, the young growth pubescent and finely wax-dotted, ultimately glabrous.
Leaves alternate, simple, elliptic to elliptic-oblanceolate, 5-8 cm. long, nearly entire to coarsely but remotely serrate, glabrous with black spots above and pubescent beneath.
Staminate flowers naked, in congested spikes about 5 mm. long, each flower subtended by a single bract; stamens 3-12, the filaments united; pistillate flowers naked, in congested spikes 1-2 cm. long, each flower subtended by 1 main bract and 2 small bracteoles; ovary superior, 1-celled, 1-seeded.
Drupe sub-globose, 4-8 mm. long, warty and waxy.
Publication: Sida 16(1): 102. 1994.
Myrica californica Cham. [FNA3, HC]
PNW Herbaria: Specimen records of Morella californica in the Consortium of Pacific Northwest Herbaria database
WA Flora Checklist: Morella californica checklist entry
OregonFlora: Morella californica information
E-Flora BC: Morella californica atlas page
CalPhotos: Morella californica photos
