Oreopanax dactylifolius
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| Oreopanax dactylifolius | ||||||||||||||||
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| Oreopanax dactylifolius (Lindl.) Hort. |
Oreopanax dactylifolius is a shrub or small tree endemic to Mexico, sometimes used in horticulture for its decorative foliage. It is evergreen, and has a medium growth rate, with a mature height of at least 10 feet. A specimen tentatively identified as this species has been growing at the Vets Garden, a therapy garden attached to the Veterans Affairs Hospital of Los Angeles CA USA (90073), for at least 30 years and perhaps more than 40. Its height is approximately 20 feet and the width of its crown about 12 feet. The 5-lobed, generally symmetrical leaves resemble maple leaves, light green with a bronze tinge, but with texture reminding one of its ivy-like relatives. The branch structure is very emphatic and the bark texture similar to that of ivy in its bushy or arborescent stage. It was not affected by a winter mid 20’s /low 30’s frost in early 2007.
