Lewisia cotyledon var. cotyledon

Cliff maids

Family: Montiaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Cliff maids is a California native perennial found in the Klamath Ranges in rocky crevices and alpine slopes of granite and serpentine landscapes at elevations of 300 to 2,300 meters. Flowering from May to July, this plant produces white to pink flowers with petals 12 to 14 millimeters long, creating delicate clusters against rocky backgrounds. Growing with low-spreading stems, it forms compact clusters hugging cliff surfaces. Its leaves are distinctive with nearly entire margins, creating a smooth-edged green rosette that nestles tightly into rocky terrain. The plant's ability to thrive in harsh, rocky environments showcases its remarkable adaptability to challenging alpine conditions.

Habitat: Crevices in cliffs or pavement of granite, serpentine, metamorphics, alpine slopes, subalpine forest

Bloom period: May-Jul

Elevation: 300-2300 m

Bioregions: KR

California counties: Siskiyou, Del Norte, Humboldt, Trinity

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