Malacothamnus palmeri

Cambria bushmallow

Family: Malvaceae · Type: shrub · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 1B.2

Cambria bushmallow is a rare (CNPS 1B.2) California native shrub found in early-recovering post-burn woody vegetation and edges of openings at elevations of 5 to 815 meters. Flowering from May to August, this plant produces pale flowers that can reach nearly 2 centimeters long, with petals delicately arranged in head-like clusters. Growing as a spreading shrub up to 2 meters tall, it develops dense stellate (star-shaped) hairs that completely cover its stems, making the underlying surface invisible without magnification. Its leaves are widely ovate, typically unlobed or with 3 to 5 rounded to acute lobes, ranging from ashy to bright green in color with cordate to wedge-shaped bases. The plant's distinctive stellate hair coverage and ability to spread by rhizomes makes it a unique component of recovering burn landscapes.

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

Bloom period: May-(Jul)Aug

Elevation: 5-815 m

California counties: Monterey, San Luis Obispo

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