J20150709-0008—Calycanthus occidentalis—RPBG

Calycanthus occidentalis—spicebush. Sometimes called "sweet shrub", a name best reserved for this species eastern relative, Calycanthus floridus. The plant photographed is brighter red than the usual wine or maroon color, probably because it was photographed on a rainy day (and perhaps because of internal processing by the camera.) Native to the north coast ranges and the Sierra Nevada below about 1800 meters. Garden escapes seem to have naturalized in the Palomar Mountains of Southern California as well as the Seattle area in Washington. The seeds are poison. Photographed at Regional Parks Botanic Garden located in Tilden Regional Park near Berkeley, CA

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