Freesia leichtlinii subsp. alba

Family: Iridaceae · Type: perennial · Not Native

White freesia is a naturalized perennial found in central coastal California, including San Francisco Bay, San Diego, and central coastal regions in disturbed urban and coastal areas at elevations below 50 meters. Flowering from March to April, this plant produces white flowers with purple outer petals, strongly scented and up to 5 centimeters long with an elegant shape featuring one erect upper lobe and three spreading lower lobes. Growing with branched stems generally less than 20 centimeters tall, it displays slender, upright growth. Its linear leaves are 5 to 15 centimeters long, about 5 to 10 millimeters wide, with a prominent midvein running along their length. Some flowers feature a distinctive yellow accent on the lower petal, adding subtle visual interest to the delicate blooms.

Habitat: Uncommon. Disturbed urban, coastal areas

Bloom period: Mar-Apr

Elevation: < 50 m

Bioregions: CCo, SnFrB, SCo

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