Sidalcea glaucescens
Waxy checkerbloom, Waxy Checkerbloom
(c) Marco Iboshi, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Malvaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Sidalcea glaucescens (Waxy checkerbloom) is a native California herb in the Malvaceae family, recognized by glaucous coating and high elevation habitat.
Waxy checkerbloom is a California native perennial found in the Klamath Ranges, northern California Cascades, and northern Sierra Nevada in dry grassy meadows and open red-fir forests at elevations of 1,500 to 3,000 meters. Flowering from June to August, this plant produces pink to pink-purple flowers 10 to 20 millimeters long in open, slightly curved inflorescences. Growing with multiple decumbent-ascending stems 20 to 50 centimeters tall, it has a thick woody taproot with a branched caudex. Its leaves are distinctive, with glabrous or slightly hairy blades 15 to 40 millimeters wide, typically featuring 5 to 7 entire primary lobes. The fruit consists of 6 to 8 segments, each 3 to 3.5 millimeters long with deeply pitted and net-veined surfaces.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 9 sympatric species - distinguished by glaucous coating and high elevation habitat
Habitat and range
Habitat: dry grassy meadows, open generally red-fir forest, often serpentine
Elevation: (900)1500-3000 m
California counties: Alpine, Butte, Plumas, El Dorado, Nevada, Tuolumne, Del Norte, Madera, Modoc, Placer, Calaveras, Tulare, Kern, Lake, Siskiyou, Amador, Shasta, Lassen, Sierra, Tehama, Mariposa, San Joaquin, Trinity, Fresno, Yuba, Mono
Outside California: Nevada
Bloom period
Sidalcea glaucescens blooms Jun-Aug.
How to tell it apart
vs Malva: Sidalcea has no bract ring below flowers and anthers in two circles; Malva has 3 bracts and scattered anthers.; vs Clarkia: Sidalcea has mallow flowers with fused stamens; Clarkia has 4 separate petals and 8 separate stamens.; vs Geranium: Sidalcea has bowl-shaped flowers with fused stamens; Geranium has 5 separate petals and long beaked fruits.; vs Malacothamnus: Sidalcea is herbaceous in meadows; Malacothamnus is a woody shrub in chaparral.; vs Calochortus: Sidalcea is a dicot with 5-petaled flowers; Calochortus is a monocot with 3-petaled flowers from bulbs.
Frequently asked questions
Is Sidalcea glaucescens native to California?
Yes. Sidalcea glaucescens is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Sidalcea glaucescens bloom?
Sidalcea glaucescens blooms Jun-Aug.
Where in California does Sidalcea glaucescens grow?
Sidalcea glaucescens occurs in Alpine, Butte, Plumas, El Dorado, Nevada, Tuolumne, Del Norte, Madera and other counties, at elevations of (900)1500-3000 m.
What plant family does Sidalcea glaucescens belong to?
Sidalcea glaucescens is in the Malvaceae family, genus Sidalcea.
What habitat does Sidalcea glaucescens grow in?
Sidalcea glaucescens grows in dry grassy meadows, open generally red-fir forest, often serpentine.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
- Sidalcea hartwegii — Hartweg's checkerbloom
- Sidalcea hickmanii — Chaparral checkerbloom
- Sidalcea hickmanii subsp. anomala — Cuesta pass checkerbloom
- Sidalcea hickmanii subsp. hickmanii — Hickman's checkerbloom
- Sidalcea hickmanii subsp. napensis — Napa checkerbloom
- Sidalcea hickmanii subsp. parishii — Parish's checkerbloom
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.