Mentzelia desertorum

Desert blazing star

Family: Loasaceae · Type: annual · Native

Desert blazing star is a California native annual found in the Mojave Desert (Bioregion D) on sandy flats in creosote-bush scrub at elevations below 950 meters. Flowering from February to March, this plant produces bright yellow flowers with yellow to orange bases, petals 2.5 to 6 millimeters long, creating delicate star-like blooms. Growing 5 to 41 centimeters tall with erect stems that range from smooth to hairy, it develops a slender, upright form. Its leaves vary from 1 to 12 centimeters long, with lower leaves showing notable tooth-like lobes while upper leaves remain more entire. The fruit develops as a slightly curved structure 12 to 27 millimeters long, bearing tan seeds with irregular rounded shapes.

Habitat: Sandy flats in creosote-bush scrub

Bloom period: Feb-Mar

Elevation: < 950 m

Bioregions: D

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