Malacothamnus jonesii var. niveus

Fragrant-snow bushmallow

Family: Malvaceae · Type: shrub · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 4.3

Fragrant-snow bushmallow is a California native shrub found in early-recovering post-burn woody vegetation from 290 to 1,050 meters elevation. Flowering from May to June, this plant produces white to pale pink flowers in spike-like clusters with delicate petals up to two centimeters long. Growing as a compact shrub up to 3.5 meters tall, it features distinctive stellate (star-shaped) hairs covering its branches and stems. Its leaves are broadly round or diamond-shaped, sometimes subtly three to five-lobed, with soft stellate hairs that are denser on the leaf undersides. The plant's unique ability to thrive in recovering burned areas and its soft, hairy texture make it a distinctive component of its habitat.

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

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

Elevation: 290-1050 m

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