Lewisia rediviva var. rediviva

Bitterroot

Family: Montiaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Bitterroot is a California native perennial found in the Klamath Ranges, northern Coast Ranges, Sierra Nevada, San Francisco Bay Area, southern Coast Ranges, and eastern Sierra Nevada in rocky, sandy ground and open conifer woodland at elevations of 60 to 1,900 meters. Flowering from March to June, this plant produces white to pink flowers with 18 to 35 millimeter-long petals in delicate clusters. Growing with low, compact stems emerging from a thick taproot, it forms dense ground-hugging mats. Its leaves are distinctive linear blades that emerge directly from the ground, creating a compact rosette. When in full bloom, the plant creates a stunning carpet of pale flowers rising just above its slender green foliage.

Habitat: Rocky, sandy ground, open conifer woodland, scrub

Bloom period: Mar-Jun

Elevation: 60-1900 m

Bioregions: KR, NCoRH, NCoRI, SN, SnFrB, SCoRI, SNE

California counties: Kern, Butte, Modoc, Mariposa, Monterey, Napa, Sierra, Siskiyou, Colusa, Alpine, Ventura, Mono, Santa Clara

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