Tiquilia canescens var. canescens

Gray coldenia

Family: Ehretiaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Gray coldenia is a California native perennial found in southeastern Mojave Desert and Sonoran Desert regions on slopes, ridges, and occasionally in washes at elevations of 300 to 1,525 meters. Flowering from March to May, this plant produces delicate lavender, pink, or white flowers with a corolla 4 to 7.5 millimeters long and a limb 2.5 to 4.5 millimeters in diameter. Growing with low-spreading stems that form dense clusters, it creates a grayish ground cover in arid landscapes. Its leaves are likely small and densely packed, helping the plant conserve moisture in its desert habitats. The plant's chromosome count of 9 suggests a compact genetic structure well-adapted to harsh desert environments.

Habitat: Slopes, ridges, occasionally washes

Bloom period: Mar-May

Elevation: 300-1525 m

Bioregions: se DMoj, DSon

California counties: Riverside, Imperial, San Bernardino, San Diego

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