Host an Event Volunteer Join Tickets

Support the plant database you love!

Q. Who is Mr. Smarty Plants?

A: There are those who suspect Wildflower Center volunteers are the culpable and capable culprits. Yet, others think staff members play some, albeit small, role. You can torture us with your plant questions, but we will never reveal the Green Guru's secret identity.

Help us grow by giving to the Plant Database Fund or by becoming a member

Did you know you can access the Native Plant Information Network with your web-enabled smartphone?

Share

Ask Mr. Smarty Plants

Ask Mr. Smarty Plants is a free service provided by the staff and volunteers at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.

Search Smarty Plants
See a list of all Smarty Plants questions

Please forgive us, but Mr. Smarty Plants has been overwhelmed by a flood of mail and must take a break for awhile to catch up. We hope to be accepting new questions again soon. Thank you!

Need help with plant identification, visit the plant identification page.

 
rate this answer
7 ratings

Thursday - June 11, 2009

From: Huntington Beach, CA
Region: California
Topic: Compost and Mulch, Diseases and Disorders, Trees
Title: Loss of bloom on Fremontodendron californicum in California
Answered by: Barbara Medford

QUESTION:

The flowers on my Flannel Bush all died at once I have noticed a sappy substance at the base of the trunk. There are still some flowers on bush but most are dead. It has been blooming since Feb. Is this natural as I do not remember it happening last year the tree is 3 years old.

ANSWER:

Fremontodendron californicum (California flannelbush) is native to California and Arizona, but is pretty particular about where it grows, preferring dry, well-drained granitic soil. It has low water needs, can grow in hot sun or part shade, and is fast-growing to 5 ft. In this USDA Profile of the flannel bush, it appears that your area is virtually the only place in Southern California where it is not native. That doesn't necessarily indicate what is wrong with it, as the sappy material at the base sounds more like some kind of disease. This Calfoto website, on the other hand, shows that there is available a Herbarium example from Orange County. We learned that it survives only a short time in clay soils under garden conditions. However, a plant placed where it is not comfortable is more likely to be susceptible to pests and diseases, so we'll try to find out what might be causing your problem. 

From Wikipedia (not necessarily the last word in accuracy) we extracted this quotation on flannel bush:

"The bark bears a gooey sap that was once used as a topical remedy for mucous membrane irritation and for gastrointestinal upset. However, the hairs covering the leaves are easily brushed off and are a skin and eye irritant."

Other things about this plant we discovered by searching on the Internet include that it should not be watered in the middle of the day, as water on hot roots can be fatal. Another piece of information was that flannel bush is subject to sudden collapse and death, even if they have been growing and flowering well.

We realize this doesn't really solve your problem. From the facts collected, we are thinking that perhaps you have a clay soil, as opposed to a well-draining soil; this plant cannot tolerate wet feet. The sappy discharge may very well be a normal feature of the plant's development. We really can't recommend a treatment, since we don't know exactly what is wrong. If you want to try to save the plant, water infrequently, not with a sprinkler system. When it cools off in the fall, try to get some organic matter, like compost, into the soil around it to encourage better drainage. If it dies and you wish to replace it, you should first carefully consider your soil and whether it is appropriate to the plant. And don't fertilize, now or later, it grows best in poor soils. 


Fremontodendron californicum

Fremontodendron californicum

Fremontodendron californicum

Fremontodendron californicum

 

 

 

More Compost and Mulch Questions

Evergreen tree for planter in Sherman Oaks CA
November 11, 2010 - We have a large cinder block planter, 6ftx6ftx6ft,in the back of our building and would love to find a good evergreen accent tree (but not pine like). Planter is near a building so preferable it shoul...
view the full question and answer

Coreopsis failing to bloom in Sonora CA
August 04, 2009 - My Coreopsis buds form and then die. Very few open. The plants are two and three years old, in a clay type soil. Is it possible they're getting too much water, and that is whats making the buds die ...
view the full question and answer

Perennial blooming plants for Ashland MO
April 02, 2010 - I am beginning to create a flower bed in front of my house, I do not have a green thumb so I want to know what plants would come back yearly and I can plant now in Mid Missouri?
view the full question and answer

When and how to transplant a Texas persimmon
January 02, 2009 - When and how should I transplant a 12' Texas persimmon? How much root ball do I need to get?
view the full question and answer

Could ammonia harm poisonous, non-native oleander in Bay Point CA
December 20, 2009 - Could ammonia harm my Oleander plant? I have been spraying ammonia under it to keep neighborhood cats from using the soil under the plant as a sand box. If so, do you have any suggestions as to what...
view the full question and answer

Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today.