Taxon Report

Fremontodendron mexicanum A. Davids.

Mexican flannelbush

Print Report

Taxon Summary

Fremontodendron mexicanum, commonly known as Mexican flannelbush, is a perennial evergreen shrub in the Malvaceae that is found in California and elsewhere. It occurs within Chaparral, Cismontane woodland, and Closed-cone coniferous forest, growing at elevations from 10 to 716 meters. Fremontodendron mexicanum is ranked 1B.1, Plants Rare, Threatened or Endangered in California and Elsewhere; Seriously threatened in California.

Classification


Scientific Name:	Fremontodendron mexicanum A. Davids.
Common Name:	Mexican flannelbush
Family:	Malvaceae
Element Code:	PDSTE03020
USDA Plants Symbol:	FRME2
Synonyms/Other Names:

Ecology and Life History


Lifeform:	perennial evergreen shrub
Blooming Period: Mar-Jun	Mar-Jun
Elevation:	10-716 (35-2350)
General Habitats:	Chaparral, Cismontane woodland, Closed-cone coniferous forest
Microhabitat:	Gabbroic, Serpentine
Microhabitat Details:	metavolcanic

Conservation Status


CA Rare Plant Rank:	1B.1
Global Rank:	G2
State Rank:	S1
State List:	CR
Fed List:	FE
Other Status:	SB_CalBG/RSABG; SB_CRES
CRPR Changes:

Occurrence Data from the CNDDB


Total Occurrences:	4
Element Occurrence Ranks:
Excellent (A)	1
Good (B)	1
Fair (C)	0
Poor (D)	0
None (X)	0
Unknown (U)	2

Location


California Endemic: False
California Counties and Islands: Name (Code)
San Diego (SDG)
Quads: Name (Quad Code)
Dulzura (3211667), Jamul Mountains (3211668)*, Otay Mesa (3211658), Otay Mountain (3211657)

Threat List Data from the CNDDB


Threat List Total:	6
EOs with Threat Listed:	Total EOs	% of EOs
	2	50 %
Erosion/runoff	2	50%
Non-native plant impacts	2	50%
Other	2	50%
Vandalism/dumping/litter	1	25%
Foot traffic/trampling	1	25%
Insufficient population/stand size	1	25%

Notes



Specimens from outside SDG Co. and BA are probably misidentified or planted. Threatened by urbanization. See Bulletin of the Southern California Academy of Sciences 16:50 (1917) for original description, and Systematic Botany 16(1):3-20 (1991) for taxonomic treatment.
Threats:

Taxonomy:

Selected References

Citation California Native Plant Society, Rare Plant Program. 2025. Rare Plant Inventory (online edition, v9.5.1). Website https://www.rareplants.cnps.org [accessed 6 November 2025].