Data provided by the participants of the Consortium of California Herbaria

View additional distribution information on the Jepson eflora

Forestiera pubescens, commonly known as Stretchberry, Desert Olive, Tanglewood, Devil's Elbow, Spring Goldenglow, Spring Herald, or Texas Forsythia, is a deciduous shrub or small tree that is native to the southwestern United States and northern Mexico.

Plant type

Shrub

Size

8 ft Tall
5 - 8 ft Wide

Form

Upright

Dormancy

Winter Deciduous

Fragrance

Pleasant

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Color

Green, Yellow

Flowering season

Spring

Special uses

Containers, Hedge

Sun

Full Sun

Water

Low

Ease of care

Easy

Cold tolerance

Tolerates cold to 10° F

Soil drainage

Fast

Soil description

Prefers sandy or decomposed granite soil.
Soil PH: 6 - 8

Propagation

Untreated seed: plant in late March to early April. May also propogate from softwood and semi-hardwood cuttings. Shallow roots make for easy transplanting.

Sunset Zones

1, 2, 3, 7*, 8*, 9*, 10*, 11*, 12*, 13, 14*, 15*, 16*, 17*, 18*, 19*, 20*, 21*, 22*, 23*, 24*

Site type

Streambanks, canyons, washes

Plant communities

Chaparral, Coastal Sage Scrub, Creosote Bush Scrub, Foothill Woodland

Can grow well with other plants that prefer moist soil and can tolerate full sun such as Sandbar willow (Salix exigua) and narrow leaf milkweed (Asclepias fascicularis).

Birds
Caterpillars
Butterflies