Latin Name - Cerocarpus ledifolius
Height - 5-20 feet
Spread - 5-15 feet
Growth Rate - Moderate
USDA Zone - 3-8
Drought Tolerance - High
This notable Utah native is encountered most often as a shrub but over time may become a small tree. It grows well on dry, gravelly slopes, a characteristic that is taken advantage of by reclamation and transportation agencies. It is one of Utah's few native broadleaf evergreens. Narrow, leather leaves grow on light gray, almost white, branches. Flowers are not showy but produce feathery, curly seeds that turn the plants silvery in late summer. Very drought tolerant once established, curl-leaf mountain mahogany actually looks better and stays more compact when not given too much water.