Mirabilis laevis var. crassifolia
Wishbone bush, Wishbone Bush
Photo by Chez Brungraber
Family: Nyctaginaceae · Type: Subshrub · Native
Mirabilis laevis var. crassifolia (Wishbone bush) is a native California subshrub in the Nyctaginaceae family, recognized by variety-level differences in stem habit and leaf characteristics.
Wishbone bush is a California native perennial found in central Sierra Nevada Foothills, Tehachapi, Central Coast, southern Coastal Range, southwestern California, western Transverse and Inyo Ranges, and western desert areas in grassy areas, chaparral, dunes, dry rocky areas, and washes at elevations below 2,500 meters. Flowering from December to June, this plant produces pink to purple-red (occasionally white) flowers in bell-shaped involucres 5 to 8 millimeters long. Growing with trailing to ascending stems that become woody and grayish with age, it develops a sprawling form that can reach up to 4.5 centimeters tall. Its leaves are ovate, 1 to 4.5 centimeters long, covered in fine puberulent or glandular hairs with distinctive conic-based young leaf hairs. The fruit is a small ovoid structure approximately 5 millimeters long, often lightly dotted or wrinkled and glabrous.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 7 sympatric species; variety-level differences in stem habit and leaf characteristics
Habitat and range
Habitat: Grassy areas, chaparral, dunes, dry rocky areas, washes
Elevation: < 2500 m
California counties: San Diego, San Bernardino, Kern, Los Angeles, Riverside, Ventura, Orange, Santa Barbara, San Benito, Monterey, Fresno, San Luis Obispo, Alameda, Inyo, Merced, Tulare, Imperial, Santa Cruz
Outside California: Baja California
Bloom period
Mirabilis laevis var. crassifolia blooms Mostly Dec-Jun.
How to tell it apart
vs Nicotiana: Mirabilis flowers sit in a cup of 5 green bracts; Nicotiana has true tubular flowers with 5-lobed petals.; vs Allionia: Mirabilis has 5 bracts and symmetrical flowers; Allionia has 3 bracts and 3 lopsided flowers.; vs Phacelia: Mirabilis flowers sit in green bract cups; Phacelia has coiled clusters with 5 separate petals and hairy leaves.; vs Petunia: Mirabilis has colorful sepals in bract cups; Petunia has fused true petals forming a funnel with capsule fruits.; vs Pelargonium: Mirabilis has opposite leaves and flowers in bract cups; Pelargonium has alternate leaves and 5 separate petals.
Frequently asked questions
Is Mirabilis laevis var. crassifolia native to California?
Yes. Mirabilis laevis var. crassifolia is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Mirabilis laevis var. crassifolia bloom?
Mirabilis laevis var. crassifolia blooms Mostly Dec-Jun.
Where in California does Mirabilis laevis var. crassifolia grow?
Mirabilis laevis var. crassifolia occurs in San Diego, San Bernardino, Kern, Los Angeles, Riverside, Ventura, Orange, Santa Barbara and other counties, at elevations of < 2500 m.
What plant family does Mirabilis laevis var. crassifolia belong to?
Mirabilis laevis var. crassifolia is in the Nyctaginaceae family, genus Mirabilis.
What habitat does Mirabilis laevis var. crassifolia grow in?
Mirabilis laevis var. crassifolia grows in Grassy areas, chaparral, dunes, dry rocky areas, washes.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
- Mirabilis laevis var. retrorsa — Wishbone bush
- Mirabilis laevis var. villosa — Wishbone bush
- Mirabilis linearis var. linearis — Narrow leaf four o'clock
- Mirabilis multiflora — Colorado four o'clock
- Mirabilis multiflora var. glandulosa — Colorado four o'clock
- Mirabilis multiflora var. pubescens — Colorado four o'clock
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.