Eriastrum sapphirinum subsp. sapphirinum

Sapphire woolly-star

Family: Polemoniaceae · Type: annual · Native

Sapphire woolly-star is a California native annual found in southwestern California and western desert regions in open grasslands, savannah, scrub, and mixed woodland at elevations of 350 to 2,650 meters. Flowering from May to September, this delicate plant produces stunning sapphire-blue to bluish-lavender flowers with white and yellow patches, often marked with dark purplish spots near the petal bases. Growing 3 to 35 centimeters tall with slender, glandular-hairy stems that are openly branched from the base or above, it forms a graceful, airy structure. Its leaves range from 4 to 44 millimeters long, appearing mostly entire or occasionally with up to 3 lobes, and are sparsely woolly in texture. The plant's distinctive white and yellow-throated flowers feature delicate corolla lobes that highlight its ethereal beauty in California's diverse landscapes.

Habitat: Open areas on flats, gentle slopes, banks, disturbed areas, in grassland, savannah, scrub, mixed woodland

Bloom period: May-Aug(Sep)

Elevation: 350-2650 m

Bioregions: SW (exc ChI), w D

California counties: San Diego, Riverside, Orange, San Bernardino, Los Angeles, Kern, Lake, Imperial, Merced, Mono

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