Diplacus calycinus

Rock bush monkeyflower

Family: Phrymaceae · Type: shrub · Native

Rock bush monkeyflower is a California native shrub found in rocky habitats of central and southern California in well-drained, exposed sites at elevations of 700 to 2,200 meters. Flowering from March to June, this plant produces pale yellow to cream flowers with delicate petals nestled among boulder and rock crevices. Growing with glandular-hairy stems 30 to 50 centimeters tall, it forms a compact subshrub with a distinctive branching structure. Its leaves are narrowly elliptic with slightly serrated edges, typically rolling under during drought conditions and covered with fine unbranched hairs. The plant produces elongated fruits that split open along the upper suture, revealing seeds in a dramatic botanical display.

Habitat: Well-drained, exposed sites; crevices in boulders or rocks

Bloom period: Mar-Jun

Elevation: 700-2200 m

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