Mysest56 
February 5, 2019
Bush anemone (Carpenteria californica) grows wild in the Sierra Nevada foothills of Fresno County, California, although the both beautiful ‘Elizabeth’ cultivar (Carpenteria californica ‘Elizabeth’) brightens the shade of California gardens. ‘Elizabeth’ has established itself as the most prominent cultivar, and white flowers and its perfume draw in visitors and butterflies alike, although it isn’t particularly prevalent.
My mother once told me that a plant without odor does not have any place in her yard. While I think she exaggerated, I get her point. If given the choice between a odor without a odor, would not you opt for a plant that is perfumed? And in summer’s warmth, no fragrance compares to bush anemone’s candy one.
Grenville K. Godfrey
Botanical name: Carpenteria californica ‘Elizabeth’
Common names: Bush anemone, California bush anemone
USDA zones: 7 or 8 9 or 10; hardy to 25 degrees Fahrenheit (find your zone)
Water requirement: Routine to establish; profound, occasional watering then
Light requirement: Full sun to partial shade (protect it in the hottest climates)
Mature size: 4 to 6 ft tall and broad
Advantages and tolerances: blossoms attract butterflies; bull resistant; tolerates drought and coastal conditions
Seasonal curiosity: Flowers late spring into summer, with inconspicuous foliage
When to plant: Fall or spring
Dig Your Garden Landscape Design
Distinguishing attributes. Not the straight indigenous, ‘Elizabeth’ is very similar and more readily available in nurseries. It is more compact and generates smaller more flowers through July.
Bush anemone bursts with light in shaded areas of the backyard, with its own prolific clusters of white flowers and yellow stamens, as landcape designer Eileen Kelly describes it. Its flowers, which resemble those of the favorite Japanese anemone, are sweetly scented; the shrub produces masses of around 20 in terminal clusters.
The tree gradually grows to 4 to 6 ft, with many stems pushing up from the foundation. Attractive, though sweet, ovate green leaves cover it. The purplish bark peels showing a bark underneath.
How to utilize it. Bush anemone resists oak root fungus, so you might see it wrapped in the shade of a sprawling oak. Its shade tolerance and lush foliage and flowers lend themselves.
Dig Your Garden Landscape Design
Planting notes. Recall that the native climate and surroundings of bush anemone when planting and tending it. Provide shade, particularly in the afternoon, in the ponds and provide little to water waterings in summer. Drip lines are ideal. Provide decent drainage. It doesn’t require pruning, but you can eliminate woody portions of the plant annually and then pinch it back after flowering to keep a round, bushy form. Check for aphids and mites periodically, as they see them spraying off them, and prevent fertilizing.
Revealed: With monkey flower (Mimulus sp)
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