Catching up in the PerpJo. Not much is flowering now, but the sumac is!

Malosma laurina is a large, rounded evergreen shrub or small tree growing 3 to 5 meters tall. The fragrant leaves and stems, being full of volatile compounds, contribute to the characteristic fragrance of chaparral. The flowers give off a “woodsy-herbal” smell, reminiscent of green apples and turpentine.

The fruit is a whitish drupe 3 mm in diameter with a smooth, flattish stone inside. The Chumash crushed and ate the dried fruits of Malosma laurina and also used the root bark to make a tea for treating dysentery.

Laurel sumac grows natively along the Southern California coastline in frost-free areas. It’s a very tough plant, hard to eradicate — if a fire burns its above ground parts, a large burl underground will re-sprout. It grows new leaves and stems all year long, even during hot dry summers, when most native plants stop growing.