Diplacus cusickioides

Cusick's monkeyflower

Family: Phrymaceae · Type: annual · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 2B.3

Cusick's monkeyflower is a rare (CNPS 2B.3) California native annual found in steep canyon slopes and scree areas at elevations of 600 to 1,600 meters. Flowering from May to August, this plant produces striking magenta flowers with yellow throat folds, creating a vivid contrast against its slender stems. Growing 3 to 24 centimeters tall with densely hairy stems, it has a delicate and compact growth habit. Its leaves are 15 to 45 millimeters long, ranging from ovate to obovate, with distinctively sharp-tipped edges, particularly on the upper leaves. The small flowers feature a tube-throat 20 to 28 millimeters long, with stigma and lower anthers extending beyond the corolla.

Habitat: Steep canyon slopes, scree

Bloom period: May-Aug

Elevation: generally 600-1600 m

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