Lemonade berry

Rhus integrifolia

Description

The Lemonade berry grows into a large evergreen shrub with flexible stems and sprawling habit to 25 ft. tall and as wide. Thick dark green leaves have grow 1-2 in. long; some have blunt teeth on margins. Attractive clusters of white to rose colored flowers are noticeable in late winter to early spring. The hard fruit are often of curious interest as they are covered with a fuzzy coating that tastes of bitter lemon.

Lemonade berry is native to coastal bluffs and inland foothills and offshore islands from Santa Barbara County to northern Baja California. It grows in sunny locations, on well-drained soils, at elevations below 3,000 ft. and within the coastal sage scrub and chaparral plant communities. It is a widely adaptable plant that is often used in combination with other California native species on slopes and in open spaces for revegetation and habitat value. In ornamental gardens it can be clipped to function as a large screen or hedge, and mixed with plants of the Coast Live Oak Palette.

Plant Type: Shrub, Native
Foliage Character: Evergreen
Habit: Upright, Mounding, Dense
Growth Rate: Moderate
Foliage Color: Dark green
Flower Color: White
Flower Season: Winter, Spring
Soil Adaptations: Well-draining soil, Clay
Exposure Adaptations: Fog, Drought, Coastal salt air, All day sun
Function: Attracts butterflies, Hedge, Wildlife value, Slopes, Screening, Restoration, Parks and open space, Background plant
Height: 25 ft.
Width: 25 ft.

Watering Schedule: Low 1

For most situations, we recommend watering deeply every 3-4 weeks after establishment.

Learn how to apply this watering schedule to your landscape on our How to water waterwise and California native plants page.

Important Notes

These are general guidelines. Always observe and adjust as necessary for your landscape.
If it rains over 1” you will likely not need to water for at least another 3-4 weeks. Before watering again, check the soil. It should be significantly dry at least 4” below the soil surface before watering.
If you have a “smart timer” or weather sensitive irrigation controller, it is best not to use the automatic weather adjusting features for plants in this category. While very useful for watering higher water demanding plants, those in this category have natural drought adaptations which mean they do not need to be watered more in warm weather. Using the weather adjusting features will result in either overwatering in summer or underwatering in fall and spring.
It is important to group plants with the same water needs together in the landscape to avoid needing to over or under water plants when running your irrigation system.

Prune by heading back as much of the new-ish growth as desired and shape to encourage long-term nice form and branching pattern in May (1). Feel free to lightly prune outer branches if shaping is needed in early Fall, but try to reserve any more substantial pruning for late spring (1). Light pinching back over time will encourage denser form. It can even be turned into a formal hedge if desired. Pruning can be used to shape into a small tree or dense hedge. If hedging, remember to taper the hedge, narrower at the top, and wider at the base, so it gets good sunlight access to the entire plant (2). Hedged plants can be cut back two or three times per year. Although it is rare, some people have an allergic reaction to the sap, somewhat like a poison oak rash. Sometimes plants grow very slowly or not much at all after planting, but within a few years begin to grow more rapidly (3) References