Malacothamnus arcuatus

Bewildering bushmallow

Family: Malvaceae · Type: shrub · Native

Bewildering bushmallow is a California native shrub found in open areas, growing up to 3 meters tall with a spreading habit. Flowering from late spring to summer, this plant produces pale flowers with petals up to 2 centimeters long, nestled among dense, stellate hairs that completely cover the plant's surface. Growing with erect to occasionally spreading stems densely covered in star-shaped grayish hairs, the plant has a distinctive appearance that makes identification easy. Its rounded to widely ovate leaves are ashy to bright green, often slightly lobed with rounded edges, and feature a dense covering of stellate hairs that make the leaves appear soft and fuzzy. The plant's bracts and flower structures are notable for their intricate hair patterns, with green to reddish bractlets surrounding delicate flower clusters.

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