Virginia Tech Dendrology

curlleaf mountain-mahogany Rosaceae Cercocarpus ledifolius Nutt. symbol: CELE3
Leaf: Alternate, simple, and persistent, commonly clustered on spur shoots; small (1/2 to 1 inch long) and narrowly elliptical, thick and leathery with entire, revolute margins, green above and below.
Flower: Small, inconspicuous, trumpet-shaped, pubescent.
Fruit: Small achenes (1/2 inch) with long, twisted, plumed tails (up to 2 inches).
Twig: Reddish brown, slender and pubescent becoming smooth and gray-brown; spur shoots are common.
Bark: Reddish to grayish brown with deep, wide furrows and ridges that may break into plate-like scales.
Form: An erect, evergreen shrub to 15 feet or small tree to 40 feet.
Looks like: mountain-mahogany - littleleaf mountain-mahogany

Additional Range Information: Cercocarpus ledifolius is native to North America. Range may be expanded by planting. Download the full-size PDF map.
External Links: USDAFS FEIS Silvics - USDA Plants Database
All material 2025 Virginia Tech Dept. of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation; Photos and text by: John Seiler, Edward Jensen, Alex Niemiera, and John Peterson; Silvics reprinted from Ag Handbook 654; range map source information