Acleisanthes longiflora
Angel trumpets, angel trumpets, angel trumpets
(c) Chet Burrier, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Nyctaginaceae · Type: Subshrub · Native
Conservation status: CNPS 2B.3
Acleisanthes longiflora (Angel trumpets) is a native California subshrub in the Nyctaginaceae family, recognized by . Key features: limestone habitat, long-tubed flowers, grooved fruits.
Angel trumpets is a California native annual found in the eastern Sonoran Desert region, specifically in the Santa Maria Mountains and eastern Riverside County, in dry limestone areas at elevations of 10 to 2,500 meters. Flowering in May, this plant produces white flowers with pale purple or green perianth tubes that create delicate trumpet-like blossoms. Growing less than one meter tall with puberulent to nearly smooth stems, it develops slender branching stems that spread across dry landscapes. Its leaves are small and distinctive, with blades less than 4 centimeters long, triangular to lanceolate in shape, featuring slightly wavy margins and sharp pointed tips. The fruit is an oblong structure 6 to 10 millimeters long, marked with two parallel grooves between its subtle ribs.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: Geographically isolated (0 sympatric species). Key features: limestone habitat, long-tubed flowers, grooved fruits.
Habitat and range
Habitat: dry places, generally on limestone
Elevation: 10-2500 m
California counties: Riverside
Outside California: to Texas, northern Mexico
Bloom period
Acleisanthes longiflora blooms May.
Conservation status
CNPS 2B.3
How to tell it apart
vs Abronia: Acleisanthes has enormous single trumpet flowers 1-7 inches long; Abronia has small flowers in dense rounded heads.; vs Tripterocalyx: Acleisanthes has giant trumpet flowers and smooth ribbed fruits; Tripterocalyx has small flowers and translucent-winged fruits.; vs Allionia: Acleisanthes has giant trumpet flowers; Allionia has tiny asymmetrical flowers in groups of 3.; vs Mirabilis: Acleisanthes has trumpet flowers 1-7 inches long without bract cups; Mirabilis flowers are shorter in 5-bract cups.; vs Boerhavia: Acleisanthes has giant trumpet flowers 1-7 inches long; Boerhavia has tiny bell-shaped flowers under 5mm.
Frequently asked questions
Is Acleisanthes longiflora native to California?
Yes. Acleisanthes longiflora is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Acleisanthes longiflora bloom?
Acleisanthes longiflora blooms May.
Where in California does Acleisanthes longiflora grow?
Acleisanthes longiflora occurs in Riverside, at elevations of 10-2500 m.
What plant family does Acleisanthes longiflora belong to?
Acleisanthes longiflora is in the Nyctaginaceae family, genus Acleisanthes.
Is Acleisanthes longiflora rare or endangered?
Acleisanthes longiflora carries California Rare Plant Rank 2B.3, state rank S1.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · CNPS Rare Plant Inventory · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos · CDFW CNDDB
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.