Monardella villosa subsp. obispoensis

Family: Lamiaceae · Type: shrub · Native

San Luis Obispo monardella is a California native shrub found in southern Coast Ranges and southern Central Coast bioregions in chaparral and oak woodland at elevations below 1,500 meters. Flowering from May to August, this plant produces white to lavender flowers in compact clusters 15 to 25 millimeters wide. Growing with ascending to erect stems 15 to 30 centimeters tall, the plant forms dense tufted or matted clusters with stems covered in both simple and branched hairs. Its narrow ovate leaves are 15 to 25 millimeters long, green on top and white-tomentose underneath, often appearing woolly and soft to the touch. The flower clusters emerge from unmodified leaves, creating a delicate and textural appearance in its native habitat.

Habitat: Chaparral, oak woodland

Bloom period: May-Aug

Elevation: < 1500 m

Bioregions: s CCo, s SCoRO.

California counties: San Luis Obispo, Monterey, Santa Barbara, San Mateo

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