Sidalcea malviflora subsp. californica
Chaparral checkerbloom, california checkerbloom, California Checkerbloom
(c) Ken-ichi Ueda, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Ken-ichi Ueda · licence
Family: Malvaceae · Type: Subshrub · Native
Conservation status: CNPS PPD
Sidalcea malviflora subsp. californica (Chaparral checkerbloom) is a native California subshrub in the Malvaceae family, recognized by dense soft pubescence and habitat.
Chaparral checkerbloom is a California native perennial found in southern Santa Lucia Mountains and western Transverse Ranges in coastal scrub and chaparral habitats at elevations below 1,000 meters. Flowering from March to June, this plant produces soft pink to lavender flowers in open, generally unbranched inflorescences. Growing 40 to 100 centimeters tall with a decumbent base and covered in soft gray stellate hairs, the plant has a distinctive appearance. Its leaves are densely soft-stellate-hairy, with lower leaves shallowly lobed and upper leaves deeply divided into 7 lobes, featuring forked hairs on the upper leaf surface. The fruit segments are 3 to 3.5 millimeters long, glandular-puberulent with coarsely net-veined pitting.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 7 sympatric species - distinguished by dense soft pubescence and habitat
Habitat and range
Habitat: Coastal scrub, chaparral
Elevation: < 1000 m
Bloom period
Sidalcea malviflora subsp. californica blooms Mar-Jun.
Conservation status
CNPS PPD
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 malviflora subsp. californica native to California?
Yes. Sidalcea malviflora subsp. californica is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Sidalcea malviflora subsp. californica bloom?
Sidalcea malviflora subsp. californica blooms Mar-Jun.
What plant family does Sidalcea malviflora subsp. californica belong to?
Sidalcea malviflora subsp. californica is in the Malvaceae family, genus Sidalcea.
Is Sidalcea malviflora subsp. californica rare or endangered?
Sidalcea malviflora subsp. californica carries California Rare Plant Rank PPD.
What habitat does Sidalcea malviflora subsp. californica grow in?
Sidalcea malviflora subsp. californica grows in Coastal scrub, chaparral.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
- Sidalcea malviflora subsp. dolosa — Bear valley checkerbloom
- Sidalcea malviflora subsp. laciniata — Geranium-leaved checkerbloom
- Sidalcea malviflora subsp. malviflora
- Sidalcea malviflora subsp. patula — Siskiyou checkerbloom
- Sidalcea malviflora subsp. purpurea — Purple-stemmed checkerbloom
- Sidalcea malviflora subsp. rostrata — Seacliff checkerbloom
Sources: Jepson eFlora · 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.