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 Garrya catkins in February at Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle, WA.
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Garrya is a genus of about 18 species of flowering plants in the family Garryaceae, native to North and Central America and the Caribbean. They are commonly referred to as silktassel.
They are evergreen dioecious wind-pollinated shrubs growing to 1-5 m tall. The leaves are arranged in opposite pairs, and are simple, leathery, dark green to gray-green, ovate, 3-15 cm long, with an entire margin and a short petiole. The flowers are gray-green catkins, short and spreading when first produced in late summer; the male catkins becoming long and pendulous in late winter when shedding pollen, 3-20 cm long; the female catkins usually a little shorter and less pendulous. The fruit is a round dry berry containing two seeds.
- Selected species
- Garrya buxifolia – Dwarf Silktassel; Oregon, California.
- Garrya congdonii – Chaparral Silktassel; California.
- Garrya elliptica – Wavyleaf Silktassel; Oregon, California.
- Garrya fadyenii – Fadyen's Silktassel; West Indies.
- Garrya flavescens – Ashy Silktassel; California east to Utah and New Mexico.
- Garrya fremontii – Bearbrush Silktassel; Washington, Oregon, California.
- Garrya laurifolia – Laurelleaf Silktassel; Mexico south to Panama.
- Garrya ovata – Eggleaf Silktassel; New Mexico, Texas.
- Garrya salicifolia – Willowleaf Silktassel; Baja California.
- Garrya veatchii – Canyon Silktassel; California.
- Garrya wrightii – Wright's Silktassel; Arizona, New Mexico, Texas.
Cultivation and uses
Some species, notably Garrya elliptica, are widely cultivated in gardens for their foliage and the catkins produced in late winter. Male plants are more widely grown, as their catkins are longer and more attractive; one such cultivar, G. elliptica 'James Roof', has catkins up to 35 cm long. The hybrids G × issaquahensis (G. elliptica × G. fremontii) and G × thuretii (G. elliptica × G. fadyenii) have been bred for garden planting.
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