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Flower/fruit

Form

Form/fruit

Rosaceae

Apache plume is a very ornamental rounded shrub that grows to about 6 feet tall. It has delicate, white, rose-like flowers that appear at the same time as the showy, feathery fruits. It grows in rocky, gravelly soils in full sun in the Edwards Plateau and Trans-Pecos north to Colorado and Utah. Extremely tolerant not only of drought but also reflected heat, Apache plume is supremely useful for erosion control on dry rocky slopes. It is dense and fast growing, spreading by woody rhizomes, so it is will also form an informal hedge relatively quickly. In good garden soil with organic matter it looks rangy and produces fewer flowers. Although it naturally forms a rounded shape, it can look somewhat messy and benefits from selective pruning once or twice a year, or being cut back to the ground every few years. The common name refers to the reputed resemblance of its feathery fruit to an Apache headdress.

Plant Habit or Use: medium shrub

Exposure: sun

Flower Color: white

Blooming Period: spring
summer

Fruit Characteristics: feathery achene

Height: to 6 feet

Width: to 6 feet

Plant Character: semievergreen

Heat Tolerance: very high

Water Requirements:

Soil Requirements: neutral
alkaline

USDA Hardiness Zone: 5

Additional Comments: