Eriastrum densifolium subsp. patens

Spreading woolly-star

Family: Polemoniaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Spreading woolly-star is a California native perennial found in coastal regions of southern California on coastal dunes and coastal chaparral at elevations of 2 to 30 meters. Flowering in June, this plant produces white to pale blue flowers with sky-blue lobes, sometimes with darker blue veins and occasionally featuring a purple ring. Growing with several spreading stems 10 to 25 centimeters tall from a woody base, the plant becomes less densely woolly as it ages. Its leaves are distinctively woolly, typically 13 to 26 millimeters long with 5 to 7 lobes, each lateral lobe up to 5 millimeters in length. The plant produces small capsules approximately 4.2 to 5 millimeters long, with ovules nestled within its intricate floral structure.

Habitat: Coastal dunes, coastal chaparral

Bloom period: Jun

Elevation: 2-30 m

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