DoubleDown’ , a type of curl-leaf mountain mahogany or desert mountain mahogany, stands out with its intricate, fine-textured foliage that adds an elegant aesthetic to any landscape. Its evergreen leaves, paired with a compact and dense growth habit, provide year-round visual interest and structure. This hardy plant is particularly suited for arid environments, offering unparalleled drought tolerance and low-maintenance requirements, making it an ideal choice for sustainable landscaping.
Its characteristics include a slow growth rate with heavy, intricate branching. The evergreen leaves are highly persistent and resistant to winter sun scald. Little-leaf mountain mahogany has never shown any susceptibility to insect pests in our studies. It is somewhat recalcitrant to propagation by cuttings, but rates of 10% to 97% have been achieved. It is susceptible to root rot in propagation.
‘DoubleDown’ is readily transplanted, but its use in the landscape has been limited to date. It appears to do well in a dry, well-drained, weed-free environment and, therefore, it would be desirable in most low-water landscapes. When growing in a container, it can go for extended dry periods without showing drought stress. There is no commercially standard cultivar with which to compare this plant. This plant should be adaptable over a wide geographic area.
Cercocarpus ledifolius var. intricatus ‘DoubleDown’ was originally collected from Clark County, NV, USA. This accession has been registered in the Utah State University Inventor Portal (
