Flower profile

Curlleaf Mountain mahogany

Cercocarpus ledifolius

Curlleaf Mountain mahogany (Cercocarpus ledifolius) is a shrub or small tree in the Rosaceae family, native in the lower 48 states, blooming mostly April–July across the U.S.

Native in the lower 48

Curlleaf Mountain mahogany is a flowering plant that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. It's on our flower lists for 2 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in April–July.

10states where USDA records it

2Bloomipedia state lists include it

6,810U.S. sightings*

*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.

On our lists for: Nevada, Utah

Quick look

Cercocarpus ledifolius is a North American species of mountain mahogany known by the common name curl-leaf mountain mahogany.
From Wikipedia's article Cercocarpus ledifolius, CC BY-SA 4.0.

It belongs to the Rosaceae family. ^iNaturalist
USDA PLANTS describes it as a shrub / a tree with a perennial life cycle. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 10 states. ^{USDA PLANTS}
NatureServe lists it as native to Utah and Nevada. ^NatureServe
USDA PLANTS lists its flower color as yellow. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS gives its bloom period as early spring. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS lists a mature height of about 20 ft. ^{USDA PLANTS}
iNaturalist has 1,619 research-grade sightings of it in Utah, ranking #24 among the 153 flowers on our Utah list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 947 research-grade sightings of it in Nevada, ranking #31 among the 132 flowers on our Nevada list. ^iNaturalist

When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (120 records)

Bloom time in the 2 states whose Bloomipedia list includes it

State	Type	Peak bloom	Sightings*
Utah	Native	few records (35)	1,619
Nevada	Native	few records (15)	947

Conservation status

Federal (U.S. ESA): Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. ^{USFWS ECOS}
NatureServe global: G5 Secure worldwide. ^NatureServe
Utah: No list Utah has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Utah ranks instead. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Utah.
Nevada: Not listed Not on Nevada fully protected plants, critically endangered (NAC 527.010). NatureServe: S4, apparently secure in Nevada. ^{NAC 527.010}
Rare elsewhere: No other U.S. state ranks it S1, S2, SH or SX.

Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.

Can you eat it?

For peopleToxic (slight, per USDA)

USDA PLANTS rates its toxicity as “slight.” (USDA's rating covers people and livestock and doesn't say which parts.) NC State Extension has no page for it. ^{USDA PLANTS}

For petsNot well documented

It isn't on the ASPCA plant list.

🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.

Where does it grow?

USDA PLANTS records curlleaf Mountain mahogany in 10 states.

AKMEVTNHWAIDMTNDMNILWIMINYRIMAORNVWYSDIAINOHPANJCTCAUTCONEMOKYWVVAMDDEAZNMKSARTNNCSCDCOKLAMSALGAHITXFL

recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington, Wyoming.

Utah counties with USDA records: Beaver, Box Elder, Cache, Carbon, Daggett, Davis, Duchesne, Emery, Garfield, Grand, Iron, Juab, Kane, Millard, Morgan, Piute, Rich, Salt Lake, San Juan, Sanpete, Sevier, Summit, Tooele, Uintah, Utah, Wasatch, Washington, Wayne, Weber.

Nevada counties with USDA records: Carson City, Churchill, Clark, Douglas, Elko, Esmeralda, Eureka, Humboldt, Lander, Lincoln, Lyon, Mineral, Nye, Pershing, Storey, Washoe, White Pine.

Growing conditions

USDA PLANTS gives Curlleaf Mountain mahogany a medium shade tolerance, high drought tolerance and low moisture use. It is rated for soil pH 5.5 to 8.7 and winter lows down to -47 °F.

Shade tolerance: Medium
Drought tolerance: High
Moisture use: Low
Soil textures it is adapted to: coarse, medium
Soil pH range: 5.5 to 8.7
Minimum temperature tolerated: -47 °F
Frost-free days needed (minimum): 90
Annual precipitation range: 10 to 45 inches
Minimum root depth: 20 inches
Salinity tolerance: None
Fertility requirement: Low
Growth rate: Moderate
Lifespan: Long
Active growth period: Spring, Summer, Fall
Fruit or seed: Brown · Spring to Fall
Can be propagated by: bare root, container, seed
Commercial availability: Routinely Available

From the USDA PLANTS characteristics data for CELE3. USDA ratings are general guidance for the species, not a guarantee for your garden.

Names, range and relatives

County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 135 counties across 10 states; the most are in California (29), Utah (29), Idaho (22).

Other Cercocarpus on Bloomipedia (1): Littleleaf Mountain mahogany.

More from the Rosaceae family (103 on Bloomipedia; most observed first): Roses (genus Rosa), Multiflora rose, Mock strawberry, Black cherry, Toyon, Thimbleberry, Wineberry, Black raspberry.

More Utah flowers

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Mat rock spiraea

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Sources

USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile CELE3.
iNaturalist, Cercocarpus ledifolius: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
Wikipedia, Cercocarpus ledifolius (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
Utah: Utah noxious weed list (Utah Admin. Code R68-9-3).
Nevada: Nevada fully protected plants, critically endangered (NAC 527.010).
Nevada: Nevada noxious weeds (NAC 555.010).
USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
NatureServe Explorer, Cercocarpus ledifolius (global and state ranks).
Edibility and toxicity: USDA PLANTS.
Photo: Isaac Krone via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.