Taxonomy

Division:

Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants

Family:

Ericaceae

Genus:

Androstoma

Species:

Androstoma empetrifolium

Growth Characteristics

Growth Habit:

Subshrub

Height:

30 cm

Drought Tolerance:

Medium

Bloom Months:

may,jun,jul

Bloom Colors:

pink, white

Ground Cover:

Yes

Evergreen Shrub:

Yes

Landscaping Shrub:

Yes

Garden & Ecology Notes

Wildlife Value:

small mammals, ground-nesting birds

Deer Resistant:

Yes

Fire Ecology:

Fire adapted — tolerates or benefits from fire

Fire Notes:

Resprouts from basal crown after fire. Common in fire-prone serpentine chaparral communities with natural fire return intervals of 15-40 years.

Propagation & Germination

Stratification:

Cold/moist stratification required — 60–90 days

Germination Time:

14–60 days

Notes:

Seeds require light for germination. Surface sow after cold stratification. Germination can be slow and erratic.

The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI