Diplacus bicolor

Harlequin monkeyflower

Family: Phrymaceae · Type: annual · Native

Harlequin monkeyflower is a California native annual found in southern Sierra Nevada Mountains in disturbed areas, road banks, and exposed granitic soils at elevations of 1,500 to 3,270 meters. Flowering from May to September, this plant produces magenta or yellow flowers with distinctive red-brown longitudinal stripes and broader blotches in the throat, creating a striking two-toned appearance. Growing with delicate stems 1 to 14 centimeters tall and covered in fine hairs, it forms a compact, low-growing plant. Its leaves are narrow and linear to elliptic, measuring 7 to 23 millimeters long and remaining entire along the edges. When mature, the plant develops small fruits 6 to 10 millimeters in length.

Habitat: Disturbed areas, road banks, exposed runoff areas, granitic soils

Bloom period: May-Sep

Elevation: generally 1500-3270 m

Bioregions: s SNH.

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