Heliotropium amplexicaule

Fragrant heliotrope, Fragrant Heliotrope

Family: Heliotropiaceae · Type: perennial · Not Native

Conservation status: Cal-IPC Yes

Fragrant heliotrope is a naturalized perennial herb found in southern coastal California in open sites and fields at elevations below 500 meters. Flowering throughout the year, this plant produces small, fragrant purple flowers with yellow throats in spike-like clusters. Growing with decumbent to ascending stems 20 to 60 centimeters tall and covered in short soft hairs, it spreads in dense mats. Its leaves are oblong to oblanceolate, 4 to 9 centimeters long, short-petioled, and also covered in soft short hairs. The fruit consists of two irregularly roughened nutlets that are faintly tubercled.

Habitat: Open sites, fields

Bloom period: All year

Elevation: < 500 m

Bioregions: n&ampc SCo

California counties: Santa Barbara, Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Solano, Ventura, Contra Costa, Alameda

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