Abutilon theophrasti

Velvet-leaf

Family: Malvaceae · Type: annual · Not Native

Velvet-leaf is a naturalized annual found in northern California Interior, Great Valley (especially Sacramento Valley), southern Coastal Range, southwest California, and desert regions in disturbed, relatively moist places at elevations generally below 100 meters. Flowering from July to September, this plant produces yellow to orange flowers 6 to 8 millimeters long in axillary clusters. Growing with erect stems 10 to 20 decimeters tall that are few-branched and glandular, it has a distinctive velvety appearance. Its large leaves are 10 to 20 centimeters wide, deeply textured with stellate hairs, and have shallow crenate edges. When bruised, the plant releases a noticeable scent and produces a fruit with 12 to 15 segments covered in long soft hairs.

Habitat: Disturbed, relatively moist places, uncommon in hotter, drier areas

Bloom period: Jul-Sep

Elevation: generally < 100 m

Bioregions: NCoRI, GV (esp ScV), SCoRO, SW, D

California counties: Sonoma, Santa Cruz, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, Los Angeles, San Diego, Imperial, Yuba, Colusa, San Joaquin, Sutter, Marin, Solano, Napa, Sacramento, Yolo, Glenn, Butte, Tehama, Contra Costa, Mendocino, San Mateo, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Ventura, Stanislaus

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.