Trichostema lanatum

Woolly blue curls

Family: Lamiaceae · Type: shrub · Native

Woolly blue curls is a California native shrub found in southern coastal ranges, coastal southern California, western Transverse Ranges, San Gabriel Mountains, and Peninsular Ranges in coastal scrub and chaparral habitats at elevations below 1,250 meters. Flowering from April to July, this plant produces distinctive blue to pink or white flowers in densely woolly clusters that completely obscure the flower stems. Growing to 1.5 meters tall with short appressed hairs on its stems, the plant develops linear leaves 3.5 to 7.5 centimeters long that are green on top and gray-hairy underneath with margins rolled tightly. Its leaves form small clusters in stem axils, creating a dense and textured appearance. The flowers feature a corolla tube 9 to 14 millimeters long with prominent lower lip and long stamens extending well beyond the flower structure.

Habitat: Coastal scrub, chaparral

Bloom period: Apr-Jul

Elevation: < 1250 m

Bioregions: SCoR, SCo, WTR, SnGb, PR

California counties: San Luis Obispo, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, Siskiyou, Ventura, San Diego, Kern, San Benito, Monterey, San Bernardino, Santa Barbara, San Mateo, Trinity, Mendocino, Alameda

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