Plectritis congesta

Sea blush

Family: Valerianaceae · Type: annual · Native

Sea blush is a California native annual found in coastal and near-coastal regions in coastal prairie and grassland habitats. Flowering from March to June, this delicate plant produces pale pink to white flowers in dense clusters that create a blush-like appearance across open landscapes. Growing 10 to 30 centimeters tall with slender, branching stems that are often reddish or green, the plant forms compact, rounded growth habits. Its leaves are variable, with lower leaves being broadly spatulate and upper leaves becoming more narrow and lance-shaped, typically arranged alternately along the stem. The fruit is distinctive, with a convex side featuring lengthwise keel and winged margins that are hairy near the tip and edges.

California counties: Mendocino, Santa Clara, Trinity, Plumas, Napa, Santa Cruz, Solano, San Diego, San Benito, Marin, Humboldt, Butte, Siskiyou, Sutter, Contra Costa, Glenn, Del Norte, San Luis Obispo, Colusa, Lake, Monterey, San Mateo, Lassen, Yolo, Santa Barbara

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