# coffeeberry (*Frangula californica*) Coffeeberry is a lovely shrub that grows in California. It has shiny green leaves and produces small, dark berries that birds love to eat! - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 4 - **Habitat:** Coastal areas ![coffeeberry](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Rhamnus_californica_ssp_californica.jpg&width=800) Photo: Public domain · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Rhamnus_californica_ssp_californica.jpg) ## Appearance The coffeeberry is an evergreen shrub with glossy, dark green leaves and often reddish stems. Its small, greenish-white flowers develop into berries that strikingly change color from green to red, then finally to black. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Magnoliopsida - **Order:** Rosales - **Family:** Rhamnaceae - **Genus:** Frangula ## Interesting facts - Coffeeberry berries look like coffee beans but are from a totally different plant! - Coffeeberry shrubs are super tough and can live for many decades in harsh conditions! - Its ripe black berries are a favorite food for many kinds of birds, helping them survive! - Native Americans used coffeeberry bark and leaves for traditional medicines and dyes. ## Special abilities - **Water Saver:** Coffeeberry can survive dry spells because its tough, leathery leaves lose less water, helping it thrive in arid places. - **Year-Round Green:** This plant has evergreen leaves that stay green all year, letting it make food from sunlight even in winter. - **Berry Signal System:** Coffeeberry berries change color from red to black to show birds they are ripe and ready to eat, attracting helpers to spread seeds. - **Pollinator Magnet:** Its tiny, nectar-rich flowers attract many different insects, helping them pollinate other plants too! ## Measurements & details - **Height:** 100-500 cm - **Spread:** 100-300 cm - **Flower Size:** 0.5-1 cm - **Bloom Season:** Spring to early summer - **Edible:** No - **Toxicity:** Mild - **Lifecycle:** Perennial - **Pollination Method:** Insect ## Ecological connections - **Eats:** [California Thrasher](https://www.snappit.app/explore/california-thrasher) (*Toxostoma redivivum*) — Feeds on ripe coffeeberry fruit. - **Pollinates:** European Honey Bee (*Apis mellifera*) — Visits tiny flowers for nectar and pollen. - **Shelter:** [Dark-eyed Junco](https://www.snappit.app/explore/dark-eyed-junco) (*Junco hyemalis*) — Finds cover in its dense branches. ## Traits - [Ornamental](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/ornamental): Ornamental plants are cultivated primarily for their aesthetic appeal, enhancing landscapes and gardens with their attractive foliage, flowers, or form. - [Shrub](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/shrub): A shrub is a woody plant smaller than a tree, typically with multiple stems branching from or near the ground. - [Evergreen](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/evergreen): Evergreen plants retain their foliage throughout the year, never shedding all their leaves at once. - [Fruit Bearing](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/fruit-bearing): Fruit-bearing plants produce fruits, which are the mature ovaries of flowering plants containing seeds. - [Edible](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/edible): Edible plants are those parts of a plant that are considered safe for human consumption. - [Coastal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/coastal): Coastal habitats are dynamic environments located along the interface between land and sea, influenced by tides, waves, and saltwater. ## Collections - [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Always look but don't touch the berries unless a grown-up says it's okay! ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify coffeeberry? Compare how the fruit is clustered, the leaves and their arrangement, the stems and any thorns. Red, blue and black fruits grow on lots of unrelated plants, and the same color can show up on both edible and poisonous species. Berry Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How tall is coffeeberry? 100-500 cm ### How wide does coffeeberry spread? 100-300 cm ### How big are the flowers on coffeeberry? 0.5-1 cm ### When does coffeeberry bloom? Spring to early summer ### Is coffeeberry edible? No ### Is coffeeberry toxic? Mild ### What is coffeeberry's lifecycle? Perennial ## Where to spot - [Forts Baker, Barry, and Cronkhite](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/forts-baker-barry-and-cronkhite) — California, US · Historic District - [Sonoma Plaza](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/sonoma-plaza) — California, US · Park - [El Sereno Open Space](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/el-sereno-open-space) — California, US · Park - [Pine Hill Ecological Reserve](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/pine-hill-ecological-reserve) — California, US · Nature Reserve - [Shorty Lovelace Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/shorty-lovelace-historic-district) — California, US · Historic District - [The Marine Mammal Center](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/the-marine-mammal-center) — California, US · Zoo [View all places to see coffeeberry](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/coffeeberry) ## More Plants - [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*) - [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*) - [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*) - [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*) --- Source: [Coffeeberry: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/coffeeberry)