Downingia elegans

Elegant calicoflower

Family: Campanulaceae · Type: annual · Native

Elegant calicoflower is a California native annual found in northwestern California in vernal pools and grassy meadows at elevations below 1,600 meters. Flowering from June to September, this delicate plant produces distinctive blue flowers with a central white area, ranging from 5 to 18 millimeters long with acute lower lobes. Growing with slender stems typically 10 to 30 centimeters tall, it forms graceful, delicate clusters in seasonal wetland habitats. Its leaves are narrow and elongated, complementing the flower's intricate blue and white coloration. The fruit develops 25 to 45 millimeters long with papery walls that easily rupture when dry, revealing seeds with distinctive longitudinal lines.

Habitat: Vernal pools, grassy meadows

Bloom period: Jun-Sep

Elevation: < 1600 m

Bioregions: NW

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