Malacothamnus fremontii var. fremontii
Long-haired unfurled bushmallow
Photo: parent species Malacothamnus fremontii · (c) Ken-ichi Ueda, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Malvaceae · Type: Shrub · Native
Malacothamnus fremontii var. fremontii (Long-haired unfurled bushmallow) is a native California shrub in the Malvaceae family, recognized by long, stalked stellate hairs.
Long-haired unfurled bushmallow is a California native shrub found in early-recovering post-burn woody vegetation and edges of openings at elevations of 50 to 1,000 meters. Flowering from May to June, this plant produces flowers with ashy green to light green leaves and distinctive stellate hairs. Growing up to 2 meters tall with occasional rhizomatous spreading, the shrub features densely hairy stems with multiple hair types. Its leaf blades are round to widely ovate, often cordate at the base, sometimes unlobed or with 3 to 7 rounded to acute lobes. When present, the plant's leaves are notably asymmetrical in hair density, with abaxial surfaces having 1 to 2 times more stellate hairs than the adaxial surfaces.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 18 sympatric species; key feature is long, stalked stellate hairs
Habitat and range
Habitat: Early-recovering post-burn woody vegetation, edges of openings, some plants occasionally persisting into more mature vegetation stages
Elevation: 50-1000 m
Bloom period
Malacothamnus fremontii var. fremontii blooms (Apr)May-Jun(Jul).
How to tell it apart
vs Sphaeralcea: Malacothamnus has flowers clustered in leaf axils; Sphaeralcea has flowers in an elongated spike-like arrangement.; vs Sidalcea: Malacothamnus is a woody shrub in chaparral; Sidalcea is herbaceous in meadows and moist areas.; vs Malva: Malacothamnus is a native chaparral shrub with axillary clusters; Malva is a weedy herb with flowers along stems.; vs Ribes: Malacothamnus has mallow flowers with fused stamens; Ribes has tubular flowers and produces berries.; vs Brickellia: Malacothamnus has 5-petaled mallow flowers; Brickellia has fuzzy composite flower heads without petals.
Frequently asked questions
Is Malacothamnus fremontii var. fremontii native to California?
Yes. Malacothamnus fremontii var. fremontii is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Malacothamnus fremontii var. fremontii bloom?
Malacothamnus fremontii var. fremontii blooms (Apr)May-Jun(Jul).
What plant family does Malacothamnus fremontii var. fremontii belong to?
Malacothamnus fremontii var. fremontii is in the Malvaceae family, genus Malacothamnus.
What habitat does Malacothamnus fremontii var. fremontii grow in?
Malacothamnus fremontii var. fremontii grows in Early-recovering post-burn woody vegetation, edges of openings, some plants occasionally persisting into more mature vegetation stages.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
- Malacothamnus involucratus — Carmel valley bushmallow
- Malacothamnus jonesii — Jones's bush mallow
- Malacothamnus jonesii var. gracilis — Huasna bushmallow
- Malacothamnus jonesii var. jonesii — Jones's bushmallow
- Malacothamnus jonesii var. niveus — Fragrant-snow bushmallow
- Malacothamnus lucianus — Santa lucia bushmallow
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-09-30
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.