Krameria bicolor

White rhatany

Family: Krameriaceae · Type: perennial · Native

White rhatany is a California native perennial found in the southern desert bioregion in dry, rocky or sandy places, especially on lime soils, at elevations below 1,400 meters. Flowering from April to May, this plant produces flowers with deep purple-red sepals and magenta or purple petals with green bases, creating a striking color contrast. Growing as a densely hairy shrub less than 1 meter tall with branches that have thorn-like tips, it spreads with a distinctive architectural form. Its leaves are narrowly lanceolate, contributing to its slender and delicate appearance. The fruit is approximately spherical, completing the plant's compact and intricate structural profile.

Habitat: Dry, rocky or sandy places, especially on lime soils

Bloom period: Apr-May

Elevation: < 1400 m

Bioregions: D

California counties: San Diego, San Bernardino, Riverside, Imperial, Inyo

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