Scrophularia villosa

Santa catalina figwort, Santa Catalina Figwort

Family: Scrophulariaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 1B.2

Santa catalina figwort is a rare (CNPS 1B.2) California native perennial found on southern Channel Islands including Santa Catalina and San Clemente in canyon bottoms, coastal scrub, and chaparral at elevations below 400 meters. Flowering from February to May, this plant produces dark maroon to nearly black flowers with paler lower lobes, approximately 8 to 11 millimeters long. Growing with tall, shrubby stems 120 to 180 centimeters high that become increasingly woody with age, the plant has an occasionally glandular-hairy appearance. Its leaves are dark to light green, with larger blades 8 to 15 centimeters long, arranged along the stems in a distinctive pattern. The plant's calyx features triangular-ovate green lobes with acute to rounded tips, giving it a unique structural character.

Habitat: Canyon bottoms, coastal scrub, chaparral

Bloom period: Feb-May

Elevation: < 400 m

Bioregions: s ChI (Santa Catalina, San Clemente islands)

California counties: Los Angeles, San Luis Obispo

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