Heuchera pilosissima

Alum root

Family: Saxifragaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Alum root is a California native perennial found in coastal bioregions including the northern Coast, central Coast, southern Coast Ranges, and western Transverse Ranges in the Santa Ynez Mountains, growing on ocean bluffs and shaded slopes at elevations below 500 meters. Flowering from March to June, this plant produces delicate white to pink flowers in dense clusters with petals 2 to 3 millimeters long. Growing 15 to 55 centimeters tall with glandular stems, it has an upright, clustered growth habit. Its leaves are distinctively large, with petioles 7 to 20 centimeters long and blades 45 to 90 millimeters wide, generally ovate and deeply divided into 5 to 7 lobes. The flower's calyx lobes are pink to red, creating a subtle and intricate botanical display.

Habitat: Ocean bluffs, shaded slopes

Bloom period: Mar-Jun

Elevation: < 500 m

Bioregions: NCo, CCo, SCoRO, WTR (Santa Ynez Mtns).

California counties: Mendocino, Monterey, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Barbara, Marin, Sonoma, San Luis Obispo, San Benito, Trinity, Del Norte, Alameda, Santa Cruz, San Bernardino

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