Carpenteria californica grows to 1–3 m (3 ft 3 in – 9 ft 10 in) tall, with flaky bark on older stems. The leaves are opposite, lanceolate, 4–10 cm (2–4 in) long and 1–2.5 cm (0.4–1.0 in) broad, glossy green above, blue-green to whitish and downy beneath.
The sweetly-scented flowers are 3–7 cm (1–3 in) across with five to eight pure white petals and a cluster of yellow stamens. It flowers from late spring to midsummer. The fruit is a leathery capsule 6–12 mm (1⁄4–1⁄2 in) in diameter, containing numerous seeds.
Carpenteria californica is cultivated as an ornamental plant, grown for its lush foliage, large scented flowers and drought tolerance. It is used in traditional and wildlife gardens[5][6] in subtropical and temperate locations in the northern hemisphere. It is hardy down to −10 °C (14 °F) in sheltered locations in full sun.[7]
It has been in cultivation since 1875, and is now much more common in gardens than in its natural habitat. It first flowered in England for the famed plantswoman Gertrude Jekyll at Godalming in 1885.[6]
^Glenn R. Conrad, ed.: A Dictionary of Louisiana Biography, Vol. I, A to M, The Louisiana Historical Association, New Orleans, La., 1988, pp. 24, 153-154, 303. 557.
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