Whipplea modesta
Modesty
(c) Tom Hilton, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Tom Hilton · licence
Family: Hydrangeaceae · Type: Shrub · Native
Whipplea modesta (Modesty) is a native California shrub in the Hydrangeaceae family, recognized by Monotypic genus endemic to Pacific Coast from California to Washington.
Modesty is a California native perennial herb found in the northwestern California, San Francisco Bay Area, and Santa Lucia Range in coastal scrub, chaparral, and forest habitats at elevations of 45 to 1,525 meters. Flowering from March to July, this plant produces delicate white flowers 4 to 6 millimeters wide in small clusters of 4 to 12 blossoms. Growing with decumbent stems featuring distinctive gray-brown bark that peels in narrow strips, it forms a low, spreading groundcover. Its leaves are persistent and sessile, with ovate to elliptic blades 1.5 to 4 centimeters long, covered in stiff ascending hairs with bulbous bases. The fruit develops as a segmented spherical structure, with each chamber containing a single plump, honeycomb-pitted seed.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: Monotypic genus endemic to Pacific Coast from California to Washington
Habitat and range
Habitat: Coastal scrub, chaparral, forest, open areas or on streambanks
Elevation: 45-1525 m
California counties: Humboldt, Marin, San Francisco, Santa Cruz, Mendocino, Siskiyou, Napa, Del Norte, Sonoma, Trinity, Monterey, Plumas, Lake, Santa Clara, San Mateo, Tehama, Solano, San Luis Obispo
Outside California: to Washington
Bloom period
Whipplea modesta blooms Mar-Jul.
How to tell it apart
vs Plectritis: Whipplea is a woody subshrub with opposite leaves; Plectritis is herbaceous with irregular flowers.; vs Clinopodium: Whipplea flowers lack the mint family's two-lipped structure and square stems.; vs Lonicera: Whipplea has small flowers in dense terminal clusters, not paired tubular flowers in leaf axils.; vs Circaea: Whipplea has tight rounded flower clusters at stem tips; Circaea has flowers spaced along racemes.; vs Fendlerella: Whipplea sprawls flat on the ground while Fendlerella grows upright.
Frequently asked questions
Is Whipplea modesta native to California?
Yes. Whipplea modesta is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Whipplea modesta bloom?
Whipplea modesta blooms Mar-Jul.
Where in California does Whipplea modesta grow?
Whipplea modesta occurs in Humboldt, Marin, San Francisco, Santa Cruz, Mendocino, Siskiyou, Napa, Del Norte and other counties, at elevations of 45-1525 m.
What plant family does Whipplea modesta belong to?
Whipplea modesta is in the Hydrangeaceae family, genus Whipplea.
What habitat does Whipplea modesta grow in?
Whipplea modesta grows in Coastal scrub, chaparral, forest, open areas or on streambanks.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
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.