Chuparosa, Justicia californica

About Chuparosa (Justicia californica) 26 Nurseries Carry This Plant

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Justicia californica is a species of flowering shrub native to the deserts of southern California, Arizona, and northern Mexico. Its common names include chuparosa, hummingbird bush, and beloperone. It is one of the northernmost distributed species of the mostly tropical genus Justicia. This is a low bush which grows in dry, hot regions in the sand or rocky terrain of the desert floor. For a short time it bears succulent leaves. It loses its leaves and then produces plentiful tubular flowers, usually in shades of bright to deep red, or sometimes yellow. Each long flower has a wide lower lip that falls open to reveal the inside of the blossom. Hummingbirds visit the bush to feed on the nectar; the common name chuparosa is Spanish for hummingbird. Other birds eat the sugar-rich flower centers. This plant is sometimes cultivated as a landscape ornamental in desert regions for its bright flowers and to attract birds.

Plant Description

Plant Type

Shrub

Size

1.7 - 4 ft tall
4 ft wide

Form

Mounding

Growth Rate

Moderate

Dormancy

Summer Deciduous

Fragrance

None

Flower Color

Orange, Red, Yellow

Flowering Season

Spring

Wildlife Supported

Hummingbirds, insects
Hummingbird gardens

Butterflies & moths hosted ( 1 confirmed

, 3 likely * ) SHOW ALL

Tiny Checkerspot Dymasia dymasDymasia dymas

Phaon Crescent Phyciodes phaonPhyciodes phaon

White-lined Sphinx Hyles lineataHyles lineata

Cobubatha dividuaCobubatha dividua

Landscaping Information

Sun

Full Sun

Moisture

Low

Summer Irrigation

Max 1x / month once established

Nurseries

Carried by 26

Ease of Care

Moderately Easy

Cold Tolerance

Tolerates cold to 25° F

Soil Drainage

Fast

Soil Description

Prefers sandy or decomposed granite soil. Soil PH: 6.0 - 8.0

Common uses

Hedges, Hummingbird Gardens, Bird Gardens, Bee Gardens

Companion Plants

Desert Willow, California Fan Palm, Creosote Bush, Ocotillo, Jojoba, Blue Paloverde, White Bursage, Barrel Cactus, Brittlebush, Indigo Bush, Apricot Mallow, Opuntia spp, numerous annual wildflowers

Propagation?

It will self-seed in a desert garden

Sunset Zones?

12, 13*, 14, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23*, 24

Natural Setting

Site Type

Gravelly, sandy washes, canyon bottoms and alluvial fans of the Colorado Desert

Climate

Annual Precipitation: 3.0" - 18.5", Summer Precipitation: 0.28" - 2.25", Coldest Month: 41.7" - 62.3", Hottest Month: 69.8" - 89.3", Humidity: 1.58" - 39.89", Elevation: -190" - 4806"

Alternative Names

Common Names: Beloperone, Hummingbird Bush

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Sources include: Wikipedia. All text shown in the "About" section of these pages is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Plant observation data provided by the participants of the California Consortia of Herbaria, Sunset information provided by Jepson Flora Project. Propogation from seed information provided by the Santa Barbara Botanical Garden from "Seed Propagation of Native California Plants" by Dara E. Emery. Sources of plant photos include CalPhotos, Wikimedia Commons, and independent plant photographers who have agreed to share their images with Calscape. Other general sources of information include Calflora, CNPS Manual of Vegetation Online, Jepson Flora Project, Las Pilitas, Theodore Payne, Tree of Life, The Xerces Society, and information provided by CNPS volunteer editors, with special thanks to Don Rideout. Climate data used in creation of plant range maps is from PRISM Climate Group, Oregon State University, using 30 year (1981-2010) annual "normals" at an 800 meter spatial resolution.

Links: Jepson eFlora Taxon Page CalPhotos Wikipedia Calflora

Chuparosa

Justicia californica

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ChuparosaJusticia californica

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Chuparosa

Justicia californica