SANTA CRUZ ISLAND IRONWOOD

When Ironwood trees come to mind, I think of Arizona, where they grown in the Sonoran Desert.  Much to my surprise I learned California has
2 native Ironwood trees.  I learned this after we went to a local 
botanical garden & I saw this interesting leaf.  Then I looked up & saw the  tree (SEE EXTRA:  Lyonothamus Floribundus).

This is a scrubby tree, we might not want to have in our yard, but it has a very interesting bio.  It once grew in groves all over the US western states, but now is only native to the Channel Islands, off the cost of Southern California.  It's namesake, Santa Cruz Island, is the largest of these islands,
but the most well known is Catalina Island, a tourist destination.  This tree grows in the chaparral & oak woodlands in the rocky coastal canyons of these islands.

This tree is also called the Fern-Leafed Catalina Ironwood, because the shape of the leaves call to mind ferns. (or some think, marijuana)
This leaf is the logo of the Santa Barbara Botanical Garden & it is the official tree of Santa Barbara County.  Some say it is the most interesting part of the tree.

You would never guess this tree is part of the Rose family, unless you saw the nosegays of white flowers that look like tiny roses, that arrive in the Spring.  I include an EXTRA to show how this tree sheds its grey bark to reveal this beautiful red bark underneath.  

I can thank Blip for this deep dive into the native flora of California.
My husband & I went to this botanical garden for photo opportunities, where I found this leaf.  It led me to an interesting scavenger hunt for information about the tree. 

I may take a ferry ride to Santa Cruz Island, & hike to see it in a grove of trees, with a Pacific Ocean view.  Maybe I will go in May, when it is blooming..