Calandrinia menziesii
Red maids, Red Maids
Photo by Chez Brungraber
Family: Montiaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Calandrinia menziesii (Red maids) is a native California herb in the Montiaceae family, recognized by key distinguishing features are pedicel length, fruit posture, and petal color intensity.
Red maids is a California native annual found in the California Floristic Province, western Modoc Plateau, southern Sierra Nevada, and northern desert mountains in sandy to loamy grasslands and cultivated fields at elevations below 2,200 meters. Flowering from February to May, this plant produces bright pink-purple (occasionally white) flowers 4 to 15 millimeters long in short to elongate racemes. Growing with slender stems 10 to 25 centimeters tall, it forms delicate, open clusters. Its linear to spoon-shaped leaves range from 1 to 10 centimeters long, typically glabrous with occasional ciliate edges. The plant produces 10 to 20 small elliptic seeds, each 1 to 2.5 millimeters wide.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 1 sympatric species; key distinguishing features are pedicel length, fruit posture, and petal color intensity
Habitat and range
Habitat: Common. Sandy to loamy soil, grassy areas, cultivated fields
Elevation: < 2200 m
California counties: San Diego, San Bernardino, Kern, Riverside, Los Angeles, Ventura, Santa Barbara, Humboldt, San Mateo, San Luis Obispo, Sutter, Contra Costa, Butte, San Benito, Tulare, Monterey, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz
Outside California: to New Mexico, Baja California, introduced in southern hemisphere
Bloom period
Calandrinia menziesii blooms Feb-May.
How to tell it apart
vs Clarkia: Calandrinia has red flowers with 5 petals; Clarkia has 4 petals often with lobes or notches.; vs Geranium: Calandrinia has simple red petals; Geranium has beak-like fruits and palmately-lobed leaves.; vs Cistanthe: Calandrinia has red petals and many seeds; Cistanthe has pink/white flowers, yellow anthers, and coastal habitat only.; vs Zeltnera: Calandrinia has separate red petals; Zeltnera has pink tubular flowers with petals fused at base.; vs Erodium: Calandrinia has red flowers and smooth capsules; Erodium has pink flowers and long-beaked fruits.
Frequently asked questions
Is Calandrinia menziesii native to California?
Yes. Calandrinia menziesii is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Calandrinia menziesii bloom?
Calandrinia menziesii blooms Feb-May.
Where in California does Calandrinia menziesii grow?
Calandrinia menziesii occurs in San Diego, San Bernardino, Kern, Riverside, Los Angeles, Ventura, Santa Barbara, Humboldt and other counties, at elevations of < 2200 m.
What plant family does Calandrinia menziesii belong to?
Calandrinia menziesii is in the Montiaceae family, genus Calandrinia.
What habitat does Calandrinia menziesii grow in?
Calandrinia menziesii grows in Common. Sandy to loamy soil, grassy areas, cultivated fields.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
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.