Cliff jamesia

Sun

Full sun to partial shade; afternoon shade is helpful in warmer gardens.

Water

Moderate while establishing; low to moderate once established. Water during prolonged drought, but avoid persistently wet roots.

Soil

Well-drained, rocky, sandy or gravelly soil; tolerates alkaline soil. Avoid heavy, waterlogged ground.

Height

3-6 ft (0.9-1.8 m)

Spread

3-6 ft (0.9-1.8 m)

Flowers

Late spring to early summer; fragrant white, five-petalled flowers in clusters at the shoot tips.

Foliage

Opposite, oval, toothed green leaves with pale, hairy undersides; often yellow, orange or reddish in autumn.

Growth

Slow to moderate

Care needed

Low

• Pollinators
• Drought tolerant
• Cold hardy
• Wildlife
• Low allergen
• Fragrant

Northern hemisphere months. In Australia, shift them by six.

Difficulty

Easy

Toughness

Very tough

Pick your zone, country, light and whether you have pets.

1. Planting day

   1.6 ft (0.5 m)

2. After 1 year

   2.1 ft (0.63 m)

3. After 2 years

   2.5 ft (0.76 m)

4. After 3 years

   2.9 ft (0.89 m)

5. After 5 years

   4 ft (1.2 m)

About 7 years to full size.

From a typical nursery size, at an average rate for this kind of plant. A rule of thumb, not a forecast.

Cats and dogs

Safe

Native to

the US

Growth rate

Slow

• Plant with the root flare at soil level in freely draining ground; use a raised bed if drainage is poor.
• Water deeply during the first growing season, letting the upper soil dry between waterings.
• Once established, water during extended dry spells rather than keeping the soil constantly moist.
• Use a light gravel mulch around the root zone, keeping it clear of the stems.
• Avoid routine feeding; rich soil and heavy fertilising are unnecessary.

Pruning. Prune just after flowering, removing dead or damaged wood and shortening awkward shoots only as needed. To renew an older shrub, remove a few of the oldest stems at ground level rather than shearing the whole plant.

Spring

Plant when the ground is workable and drains freely; water thoroughly after planting.

Late spring

Check soil moisture around newly planted shrubs and water if the root ball is drying out.

Early summer

After flowering, remove damaged branches and lightly shape only where necessary.

Summer

Water established plants during prolonged drought; check that irrigation is not keeping the crown wet.

Autumn

Clear wet leaf accumulations from around the stem bases and check drainage before winter.

• Set among boulders in a large rock garden to echo its natural cliff habitat.
• Use on a well-drained bank with penstemons and low-growing native plants.
• Plant at a sunny woodland edge where its white flowers brighten the transition to shade.
• Use as an informal specimen near a path, allowing room for its natural branching and fragrant flowers.

Garden styles it suits: Mountain lodge, Alpine rock garden, Dry gravel garden, Wildlife garden, Low-maintenance and White garden.

Plant it with: Rocky Mountain penstemon, Blue columbine, Sulphur buckwheat, Kinnikinnick and Creeping phlox.

Wildlife: Flowers provide pollen and nectar for visiting insects, including native bees. The branching shrub also offers cover for small birds.

• Root decline in wet soil: improve drainage or move the shrub to a raised, rocky site; do not leave it standing in irrigation runoff.
• Leaf scorch during hot, dry weather: provide afternoon shade in warmer regions and water deeply during extended drought.
• Poor flowering in deep shade: move to a brighter position with direct sun for part of the day.
• Poor performance in hot, humid climates: choose a cool, airy site with sharp drainage; this mountain shrub may remain unsuitable where summer nights stay hot.

Not known to be toxic to people, cats, dogs or horses, but species-specific safety information is limited. No particular toxic part is established; do not treat the leaves, flowers or seeds as food.

• Lewis's mock orange (Philadelphus lewisii)

  Its white flowers usually have four petals rather than five, and its leaves lack the conspicuously pale, hairy undersides typical of cliff jamesia.

• Cliff fendlerbush (Fendlera rupicola)

  It has much narrower leaves and white flowers with four petals, rather than the broader, toothed leaves and five-petalled flowers of cliff jamesia.

Jamesia honours the American botanist and explorer Edwin James, while americana means American and the common name refers to the shrub's rocky cliff habitat.

Propagation. Propagate from seed, which may benefit from a period of cold, moist stratification, or take softwood cuttings in early summer. Germination and rooting can be variable.

Accepted botanical name

Jamesia americana

In the US and Canada

Native in the lower 48 states.

Native range

Arizona, California, Colorado, Mexico Northeast, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming.

Measured

Soil pH 7 to 8.5. Average height 137 cm.

Sources: GBIF (CC BY 4.0), USDA PLANTS and Trefle (CC BY 4.0). The care and design notes are LandscapeGPT's own.