Malacothamnus fasciculatus var. laxiflorus

Splendid bushmallow

Family: Malvaceae · Type: shrub · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 1A

Splendid bushmallow is a rare (CNPS 1A) California native shrub found in early-recovering post-burn woody vegetation and openings at elevations from sea level to 2,640 meters. Flowering from April to June, this plant produces delicate pink to white flowers with petals up to 2 centimeters long, emerging in spike-like to panicle-like clusters. Growing up to 6 meters tall with a spreading habit and occasional rhizomatous growth, it develops stems covered in distinctive stellate hairs with fine branches less than 0.4 millimeters long. Its leaf blades are bright green, unlobed or subtly 3 to 5-lobed, with rounded to acute edges and bases ranging from truncate to heart-shaped. The plant's dense, multi-branched stellate hair coverage gives it a soft, textured appearance, with leaf undersides having 1 to 6 times more hair density than the upper surface.

Habitat: Early-recovering post-burn woody vegetation, edges of openings, some plants occasionally persisting into more mature vegetation stages

Bloom period: (Mar)Apr-Jun(Jul)

Elevation: 0-2640 m

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