Monardella undulata subsp. arguelloensis

Point Arguello monardella

Family: Lamiaceae · Type: shrub · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 1B.1

Point Arguello monardella is a rare (CNPS 1B.1) California native shrub found in southern central coastal California, specifically at Point Arguello in Santa Barbara County, growing in stabilized coastal dunes at elevations of 50 to 150 meters. Flowering from May to September, this plant produces rose to purple flowers in clusters that are 18 to 30 millimeters wide, with distinctive straw-colored or purple-tinged bracts. Growing with erect woody stems 30 to 100 centimeters tall and branching extensively, the plant has a stout main stem up to 3.5 centimeters in diameter. Its leaves are distinctively wavy-margined, narrowly lanceolate, 10 to 40 millimeters long, and fleshy green with sparse to moderate hair coverage. The plant's multi-branched structure and strongly undulating leaf margins make it a distinctive coastal shrub adapted to sandy dune environments.

Habitat: Stabilized coastal dunes, sandy soils

Bloom period: May-Sep

Elevation: 50-150 m

Bioregions: s CCo (Point Arguello, Santa Barbara Co.).

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