Ocean Spray makes me think of cranberries. I guess it makes other people think of cranberries, too, because that name seems to have fallen out of favor. But it is actually very descriptive of a bush that grows near the ocean and has fluffy white flowers that look a bit like white caps. I think that this would look great planted with spirea, which has fluffy pink flowers. It blooms from May to July, so it is no surprise that it is in bloom at the UC Botanical Garden now. The fragrant flowers make a good filler in bouquets. The wood is very hard and Indians used it for making spears, arrows and harpoons. This very forgiving plant grows in sun or shade and needs no water after it is established. Maybe I should try it in my garden.
Cream Bush is a caterpillar plant for the Brown Elfin, Pale Swallowtail and Weidermeyer's Admiral. It is a caterpillar plant for a few attractive moths, too, including the striking Sheep Moth, a large and colorful day-flying saturnid moth, and the yellow Sulphur Moth and the green Bank's' Emerald Moth. Creambush is a nectar plant for at least 6 species of butterflies, including the Western Tiger Swallowtail as well as the Oceanspray Fairy Moth, a small day-flying species. So Ocean Spray is a beautiful plant for the cultivated landscape that has much to offer in the way of interesting Lepidoptera.
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