Jamesia americana is a wonderful perennial/deciduous shrub of the Sierras and east to Utah. Cliffbush tolerates high calcium soils, drought, garden conditions, frost, heat. If you have a mountain mansion at 8000-12000 ft. with rocks everywhere this is your plant. If you have a bird bath, this is a good plant to put three feet or so from it, with columbine, Satureja mimuloides, and lilies under the bath. The white flowers look kinda like a Philadelphus, but have the texture of an azalea, and are delicately fragrant. Foliage is somewhat like a rockrose, or Salvia officinalis crossed with currant.
(Syn. Edwinia americana, Jamesia americana var. rosea, Edwinia macrocalyx, Edwinia californica, Jamesia americana var. zionis)
Foliage of Jamesia americana var. californica is deciduous.
Flower of Jamesia americana var. californica has color white.
Communities for Jamesia americana var. californica:Lodgepole Forest, Pinyon-Juniper Woodland and Yellow Pine Forest.