Fallugia paradoxa
Apache plume
(c) Brian Finzel, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), uploaded by Brian Finzel · licence
Family: Rosaceae · Type: Shrub · Native
Fallugia paradoxa (Apache plume) is a native California shrub in the Rosaceae family, recognized by Monotypic genus with very limited range in California, primarily distributed in the southwestern US and Mexico.
Apache plume is a native shrub found in the eastern Mojave Desert in dry, rocky pinyon and juniper woodland at elevations of 1,000 to 2,200 meters. Flowering from May to June, this plant produces white flowers 10 to 25 millimeters wide with multiple delicate petals. Growing as a multi-branched shrub less than 2 meters tall with gray-white bark that peels, it develops an intricate, somewhat erect form. Its leaves are deeply lobed with linear segments, densely hairy on the upper surface and rusty-scaled underneath, with margins rolled tightly. The fruit is a distinctive silky-hairy achene with a feathery, purple-tinted style measuring 30 to 50 millimeters long.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: Monotypic genus with very limited range in California, primarily distributed in the southwestern US and Mexico
Habitat and range
Habitat: Dry, +- rocky slopes in pinyon/juniper woodland
Elevation: 1000-2200 m
California counties: San Bernardino, Inyo, Santa Barbara
Outside California: to Colorado, western Oklahoma, western Texas, northern Mexico
Bloom period
Fallugia paradoxa blooms May-Jun.
How to tell it apart
vs Purshia: Fallugia leaves are deeply lobed; Purshia leaves have 3 shallow lobes at tip only.; vs Clematis: Fallugia has rusty-scaled leaves; Clematis has smooth green leaves without scales.; vs Dasiphora: Fallugia has white flowers and rusty leaf scales; Dasiphora has yellow flowers and green leaves.; vs Rosa: Fallugia lacks prickles and has deeply lobed leaves; Rosa has prickles and pinnate leaflets.; vs Rubus: Fallugia has deeply lobed simple leaves; Rubus has compound leaves with separate leaflets.
Frequently asked questions
Is Fallugia paradoxa native to California?
Yes. Fallugia paradoxa is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Fallugia paradoxa bloom?
Fallugia paradoxa blooms May-Jun.
Where in California does Fallugia paradoxa grow?
Fallugia paradoxa occurs in San Bernardino, Inyo, Santa Barbara, at elevations of 1000-2200 m.
What plant family does Fallugia paradoxa belong to?
Fallugia paradoxa is in the Rosaceae family, genus Fallugia.
What habitat does Fallugia paradoxa grow in?
Fallugia paradoxa grows in Dry, +- rocky slopes in pinyon/juniper woodland.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.