Mountain Mahogany is a native shrub or small tree in the rose family (Rosaceae) found in the western USA and northern Mexico along rocky hillsides, cliffs, open woods and mesas. It is found in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains and the Great Plains at 5,000-8,000 feet elevation. It is deciduous to evergreen depending on where it is growing. The Genus name is Greek for 'tailed fruit', referring to the feathery fruit produced after flowering. Specific epithet means of mountains. The common name is regarding the color of the wood, Mountain mahogany can reach 20 feet tall but is often browsed by deer and elk, keeping it around 3-8 feet tall. Plant in full sun in well-drained soils. It is drought tolerant once established. The insignificant spring flowers start out red but open to white. The seedheads that follow are showy with plumes of feathery long white tails that can cover the plant. Use this shrub on slopes for erosion control, borders or open woodland sites. It can be used as a hedge for a barrier or privacy in its native habitat. Not suitable for the eastern United States. Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: No significant problems.
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Soil texture
Clay; Loam (Silt); Sand
Soil pH
Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Occasionally Dry
Available space
3 feet-6 feet; 6-feet-12 feet
Mature size
Height: 8 ft. 0 in. - 20 ft. 0 in. | Width: 4 ft. 0 in. - 8 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate
Slow
Maintenance
Low
Canopy layer
2 - Understory (15-40 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Erect; Spreading; Vase
Texture
Medium
Foliage
Deciduous
Leaf color
Gray/Silver; Green
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Alternate
Leaf shape
Lanceolate; Obovate
Leaf margin
Entire; Serrate
Leaf value
Fragrant; Showy
Leaf size
1-3 inches long, < 1 inch wide
Hairs present
Yes
Leaf detail
Leaves are simple, alternate, lanceolate to obovate. Margins can be entire or toothed. Up to 2 inches long and 1 inch across, the leaves are dark green and glabrous above and fuzzy silver underneath.
Fall color
Red/Burgundy
Flower color
Gold/Yellow; Red/Burgundy; White
Flower form
Insignificant
Flower shape
Funnel
Flower size
< 1 inch
Flower detail
Small flowers are petalless but have fused sepals and occur in small clusters of 2-3 in the axils of branches. They start out red and change to white.
Bloom time
Spring
Fruit color
Gray/Silver; White
Fruit type
Achene
Fruit value
Showy
Fruit size
< 1 inch long, < 1 inch wide
Fruit detail
The fruit is a hard, cylindrical achene coated with silvery-white feathery tails
Bark color
Light Gray; Red/Burgundy
Bark detail
The thin and smooth bark can be flecked with scales on older branches.
Stem color
Gray/Silver
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Native
Origin
Western North America and northern Mexico
Distribution
AZ , CA , CO , ID , KS , MT , NE , NM , NV , OK , OR , SD , TX , UT , WY
Wildlife value
Serves as a host plant for the Western sheepmoth and the Mountain Mahogany Hairstreak.
Attracts
Butterflies
Play value
Buffer; Screening; Textural; Wildlife Larval Host
Food & Medicine
Harvest time
Fall; Spring; Summer
Fruit type
Achene
Uses (ethnobotany)
Native Americans used the wood to make bows and spearheads. It has also been used for tool handles. Cut wood makes an excellent fuel source for campfires, and it's said that the leafy twigs helped to keep bedbugs away. A reddish-brown dye can be made from the roots and bark that is used for dying baskets and leather.