Family: Rosaceae

This is an upright shrubby plant eventually reaching up to 10-20’ tall and wide. It is very similar in appearance to Arizona Rosewood (Vauquelinia californica), but its growth habit is more loose and open. The glossy green leaves are long and narrow, with wavy, serrated edges. Clusters of creamy-white flowers appear from May through June. There are two subspecies of this plant.

The subspecies heterodon is the more common plant and is described above.

The subspecies angustifolia is distinguished by more narrow and willowy foliage with more deeply toothed leaves. It is found in the Chisos mountains of Texas and is thus called Chisos rosewood.

Flowers are nectar rich and visited by many pollinators. Larval host for the two-tailed swallowtail (Papilio multicaudata).

Vauquelinia is named for Louis Nicolas Vauquelin, a 19th century French chemist and botanist. The specific epithet (corymbosa) is derived from the Latin word corymbus meaning "a bunch of flowers" and the suffix -osus meaning "an abundance of", referring to the flower clusters of this species. The subspecies heterodon is derived from the Greek words heteros meaning "different" and odon meaning "tooth". The Subspecies angustifolia means slender-leaved, referring to the subspecies having a distinctively skinnier leaf.