Crossosoma californicum

Catalina crossosoma, Catalina Crossosoma

Family: Crossosomataceae · Type: shrub · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 1B.2

Catalina crossosoma is a rare (CNPS 1B.2) California native shrub found in central Southern California coastal areas and southern Channel Islands, including Palos Verdes Peninsula, San Clemente, and Santa Catalina islands on dry, rocky slopes and in canyons at elevations below 610 meters. Flowering from February to May, this plant produces white, round petals 12 to 15 millimeters long with a delicate claw-like base. Growing 1 to 5 meters tall with distinctively thorny branchlets, it forms a rugged, sculptural shrub with intricate branching. Its leaves are oblong to obovate or spoon-shaped, creating a unique textural appearance across rocky landscapes. The plant produces 2 to 9 fruits 15 to 20 millimeters long with slightly recurved tips, each containing more than 20 seeds approximately 2.5 millimeters in diameter.

Habitat: Dry, rocky slopes, canyons

Bloom period: Feb-May

Elevation: < 610 m

Bioregions: c SCo (Palos Verdes Peninsula), s ChI (San Clemente, Santa Catalina islands)

California counties: Los Angeles, Alameda, Contra Costa, Santa Barbara

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