Ptelea crenulata, commonly known as the California hoptree, is a species of tree that is endemic to the state of California in the United States. It is found in the western Sierra Nevada and southern Cascade Range foothills, the northern California Coast Ranges, and the San Francisco Bay Area.USDA—Ptelea crenulata. Accessed 8.20.2011Calflora.org: Ptelea crenulata. Accessed 8.24.2011UC: Jepson Manual treatment for PTELEA crenulata . accessed 8.20.2011
The plant grows in chaparral and woodland habitats. It is cultivated by specialty California native plant nurseries as an ornamental plant for use as a shrub or small tree in water-conserving gardens, natural landscaping design, and habitat restoration projects.UC: Jepson Horticultural Database for Ptelea crenulata. Accessed 8.20.2011CNPLX: Ptelea crenulata—Nursery and Seed Sources . accessed 8.20.2011
Seedlings of Ptelea crenulata grow better in dry soil than in standing water, showing how well the species is adapted to California’s warm, dry climate.Peterson, B. J., & Graves, W. R. (2013). Responses to root-zone water content of shrub congeners from eastern North America and Mediterranean California. HortScience, 48(6), 715–719. https://doi.org/10.21273/HORTSCI.48.6.715 It also tends to have smaller leaves than its eastern relatives, a difference linked to growing in drier environments.Skornia, E., Yang, M., & Applequist, W. L. (2015). Phenetic analyses and revised classification of the Ptelea trifoliata complex (Rutaceae). Western North American Naturalist, 75(4), 406–428. https://doi.org/10.3398/064.075.0401 The flowers give off a strong citrus-like scent that comes from natural compounds such as ethyl benzoate and estragole.Stewart, A. J., Boylston, T., Wilson, L., & Graves, W. R. (2022). Floral aromatics of Ptelea: Chemical identification and human response. Journal of the American Society for Horticultural Science, 147(1), 25–34. https://doi.org/10.21273/jashs05119-21
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