Malacothamnus mendocinensis
Mendocino bushmallow
(c) Trevor Van Loon, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Malvaceae · Type: Shrub · Native
Conservation status: CNPS 1B.1
Malacothamnus mendocinensis (Mendocino bushmallow) is a native California shrub in the Malvaceae family, recognized by very short stellate hairs and small bractlets.
Mendocino bushmallow is a rare (CNPS 1B.1) California native shrub found in early-recovering post-burn woody vegetation and openings, typically growing up to 2 meters tall. Flowering from May to June, this plant produces pale flowers with petals up to 1.5 centimeters long, densely covered in stellate hairs that completely obscure the stem's surface. Growing with a distinctive appearance, the shrub has densely hairy stems and rounded to widely ovate leaves that are 3 to 7 subtly lobed, with leaf surfaces ranging from ashy to bright green. Its leaves have cordate bases and are covered in fine stellate hairs, with the underside of the leaves having a slightly denser hair coverage than the upper surface. The plant's intricate stellate hair structure, with hair branches less than 0.2 millimeters long, gives it a soft, almost silvery appearance in its native habitat.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: Geographically isolated; very short stellate hairs and small bractlets
Habitat and range
Habitat: Probably early-recovering post-burn woody vegetation, edges of openings, some plants probably persisting into more mature vegetation stages
Bloom period
Malacothamnus mendocinensis blooms May-Jun.
Conservation status
CNPS 1B.1
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 mendocinensis native to California?
Yes. Malacothamnus mendocinensis is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Malacothamnus mendocinensis bloom?
Malacothamnus mendocinensis blooms May-Jun.
What plant family does Malacothamnus mendocinensis belong to?
Malacothamnus mendocinensis is in the Malvaceae family, genus Malacothamnus.
Is Malacothamnus mendocinensis rare or endangered?
Malacothamnus mendocinensis carries California Rare Plant Rank 1B.1, state rank S1.
What habitat does Malacothamnus mendocinensis grow in?
Malacothamnus mendocinensis grows in Probably early-recovering post-burn woody vegetation, edges of openings, some plants probably persisting into more mature vegetation stages.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · CNPS Rare Plant Inventory · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos · CDFW CNDDB
Last updated 2026-10-06
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.