Sidalcea hickmanii subsp. hickmanii

Hickman's checkerbloom, Hickman's Checkerbloom

Family: Malvaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 1B.3

Hickman's checkerbloom is a rare (CNPS 1B.3) California native perennial found in the Santa Lucia Range in Monterey County's chaparral at elevations of 330 to 1,200 meters. Flowering from May to July, this plant produces pale pink to lavender flowers with petals approximately 16 to 17 millimeters long. Growing with grayish-canescent stems 40 to 80 centimeters tall, often brick-red near the base and covered in coarsely stellate hairs, it develops an upright, somewhat dense form. Its leaves are closely crenate with generally rounded lobes and shallow sinuses, creating a softly textured appearance. The plant's delicate flowers are framed by small linear bracts and feature acute calyx lobes with longest hairs along the margins.

Habitat: Chaparral

Bloom period: May-Jul

Elevation: 330-1200 m

Bioregions: SCoRO (Santa Lucia Range, Monterey Co.).

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