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Fremontodendron californicum - (Torr.)Coville.                  
                   
Common Name Flannel Flower
Family Sterculiaceae
Synonyms Chiranthodendron californicum. Fremontia californica.
Known Hazards The stem is clothed with brown hairs which rub off easily and can be a severe irritant[166]. When pruning it is best to wear a mask[166]. The eyes can be badly affected[202].
Habitats Dry, mostly granitic slopes, 900 - 1800 metres in California[71]. It thrives on poor dry rocky soils of the foothills, where it often forms dense thickets[229].
Range South-western N. America - California and Arizona.
Edibility Rating  
Medicinal Rating  
Care
Frost Hardy Well drained soil Moist Soil Semi-shade Full sun

Summary        

Physical Characteristics        
 icon of manicon of shrub
An evergreen Shrub growing to 6 m (19ft) by 4 m (13ft) at a medium rate.
It is hardy to zone 8 and is frost tender. It is in leaf 12-Jan It is in flower from May to July. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs)


The plant prefers light (sandy) and medium (loamy) soils, requires well-drained soil and can grow in nutritionally poor soil.The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. and can grow in very alkaline soils.
It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade.It requires dry or moist soil and can tolerate drought.




http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Stan_Shebs
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Stan_Shebs
  
Habitats        
Woodland Garden Sunny Edge; East Wall. By. South Wall. By.
Edible Uses                                          
None known
Medicinal Uses


Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. Always seek advice from a professional before using a plant medicinally.

Poultice.

The inner bark is used as a poultice[4, 61]. One report says that the bark has similar properties to Ulmus rubra (Slippery Elm Bark)[4]. These properties are as follows:- Slippery elm bark is a widely used herbal remedy and is considered to be one of the most valuable of remedies in herbal practice[4]. In particular, it is a gentle and effective remedy for irritated states of the mucous membranes of the chest, urinary tubules, stomach and intestines[254]. The inner bark contains large quantities of a sticky slime that can be dried to a powder or made into a liquid[229]. The inner bark is harvested in the spring from the main trunk and from larger branches, it is then dried and powdered for use as required[4]. Ten year old bark is said to be best[4]. Fine grades of the powder are best for internal use, coarse grades are better suited to poultices[238]. The plant is also part of a North American formula called essiac which is a popular treatment for cancer. Its effectiveness has never been reliably proven or disproven since controlled studies have not been carried out. The other herbs included in the formula are Arctium lappa, Rumex acetosella and Rheum palmatum[254]. The inner bark is demulcent, diuretic, emollient, expectorant, nutritive[4, 21, 165, 213]. It has a soothing and healing effect on all parts of the body that it comes into contact with[4] and is used in the treatment of sore throats, indigestion, digestive irritation, stomach ulcers etc[222]. It used to be frequently used as a food that was a nutritive tonic for the old, young and convalescents[222]. It was also applied externally to fresh wounds, burns and scalds[222]. The bark has been used as an antioxidant to prevent fats going rancid[222]. The whole bark, including the outer bark, has been used as a mechanical irritant to abort foetuses[238]. Its use became so widespread that it is now banned in several countries[238].
Other Uses
Fibre;  Wood.

The bark can be made into cordage then used in making nets etc[257]. Wood - fine-grained, hard to soft, heavy[82, 229]. It is not used commercially due to the small size of the tree[229].
Cultivation details                                          
Requires a light well-drained poorish soil[11] in full sun in a position sheltered from cold drying winds[200]. Tolerates light shade[202]. Prefers a hot dry situation according to one report[166] whilst another says that it does best against a north, west or east wall, a southern exposure usually being too hot and dry[182]. Tolerates very chalky soils[200, 202]. Plants produce lush growth when growing in rich soils at the expense of flowering[200]. This species is not hardy in the open at Kew, though it succeeds in the open in milder areas of the country[11, 182]. Plants tolerate temperatures down to about -15°c, especially once they are more than 1.5 metres tall[202]. Plants are relatively fast growing[202]. Resents root disturbance and should be planted into its final position when quite young[1, 11]. Plants do not seem to be long lived in cultivation[182], about 20 years being considered old age[219]. They are subject to sudden collapse and death, even if they have been growing and flowering well[11]. This is probably the result of excessive wet or of the plant failing to fully ripen its wood. The stems die back if the bark is cracked by frost or abrasion[1]. Plants can be pruned in mid to late summer, this will generate new growth and more flowers[202]. This species is notably resistant to honey fungus[200].
                                                                                   
Propagation                                          
Seed - pre-soak for 48 hours in warm water and then sow singly in pots in a cold frame in late winter. Variable germination[78]. Grow the young plants on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. Cuttings of half-ripe wood, July/August in sandy soil in a frame[200]. Cuttings of greenwood in spring in a frame[200].
Expert comment                                          
 
       
Author                                          
(Torr.)Coville.
                                                                                   
Botanical References                                          
1171200
                                                                                   
Links / References                                          

[1]F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956
Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaces in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).
[4]Grieve. A Modern Herbal.
Not so modern (1930's?) but lots of information, mainly temperate plants.
[11]Bean. W. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement.
A classic with a wealth of information on the plants, but poor on pictures.
[21]Lust. J. The Herb Book.
Lots of information tightly crammed into a fairly small book.
[61]Usher. G. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man.
Forget the sexist title, this is one of the best books on the subject. Lists a very extensive range of useful plants from around the world with very brief details of the uses. Not for the casual reader.
[71]Munz. A California Flora.
An excellent flora but no pictures. Not for the casual reader.
[78]Sheat. W. G. Propagation of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers.
A bit dated but a good book on propagation techniques with specific details for a wide range of plants.
[82]Sargent. C. S. Manual of the Trees of N. America.
Two volumes, a comprehensive listing of N. American trees though a bit out of date now. Good details on habitats, some details on plant uses. Not really for the casual reader.
[165]Mills. S. Y. The Dictionary of Modern Herbalism.
An excellent small herbal.
[166]Taylor. J. The Milder Garden.
A good book on plants that you didn't know could be grown outdoors in Britain.
[182]Thomas. G. S. Ornamental Shrubs, Climbers and Bamboos.
Contains a wide range of plants with a brief description, mainly of their ornamental value but also usually of cultivation details and varieties.
[200]Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
[202]Davis. B. Climbers and Wall Shrubs.
Contains information on 2,000 species and cultivars, giving details of cultivation requirements. The text is terse but informative.
[213]Weiner. M. A. Earth Medicine, Earth Food.
A nice book to read though it is difficult to look up individual plants since the book is divided into separate sections dealing with the different medicinal uses plus a section on edible plants. Common names are used instead of botanical.
[219]Grey-Wilson. C. & Matthews. V. Gardening on Walls
A nice little book about plants for growing against walls and a small section on plants that can grow in walls.
[222]Foster. S. & Duke. J. A. A Field Guide to Medicinal Plants. Eastern and Central N. America.
A concise book dealing with almost 500 species. A line drawing of each plant is included plus colour photographs of about 100 species. Very good as a field guide, it only gives brief details about the plants medicinal properties.
[229]Elias. T. The Complete Trees of N. America. Field Guide and Natural History.
A very good concise guide. Gives habitats, good descriptions, maps showing distribution and a few of the uses. It also includes the many shrubs that occasionally reach tree proportions.
[238]Bown. D. Encyclopaedia of Herbs and their Uses.
A very well presented and informative book on herbs from around the globe. Plenty in it for both the casual reader and the serious student. Just one main quibble is the silly way of having two separate entries for each plant.
[254]Chevallier. A. The Encyclopedia of Medicinal Plants
An excellent guide to over 500 of the more well known medicinal herbs from around the world.
[257]Moerman. D. Native American Ethnobotany
Very comprehensive but terse guide to the native uses of plants. Excellent bibliography, fully referenced to each plant, giving a pathway to further information. Not for the casual reader.

Readers comment                                          
 
Elizabeth H.
Sun Apr 3 05:17:56 2005
fhxmysm
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Subject : Fremontodendron californicum  
               

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