Birchleaf Mountain Mahogany
Cercocarpus is a useful informal hedging plant. In the Palo Alto Demonstration garden we have it planted on the edge of our garden in an infrequently watered bed. It provides a buffer to the ivy cover area beyond our demonstration beds. The plant is evergreen, which adds to it usefulness as a screening plant.
We were recently inspired by a picture in Plants for Summer-Dry Climates to prune this Cercocarpus to have a more open form. It is very hard to see from this photo, but it is now a very attractive, airy shrub. This plant has been slow growing for us, so we hope it will not be difficult to maintain this form.
Sunset says this plant requires full sun, but it has does just fine in an area that receives some shade. Because it is a California native from the foothills, it can get by on little to no water once established.