California Prickly Phlox, Linanthus californicus

About California Prickly Phlox (Linanthus californicus) 3 Nurseries Carry This Plant

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Linanthus californicus (Prickly Phlox) is a native sub-shrub in the Polemoniaceae (Phlox) family that grows along the coast and in the Coast Ranges, Transverse Range and Peninsular Range from San Luis Obispo County to Orange and Riverside Counties. It tends to grow at elevations from sea level to 6,500 feet. The leaves are palmate and sufficiently prickly to be painful. The pink or lavender flowers are small but showy and can appear 6 months of the year.

Plant Description

Plant Type

Shrub

Size

1 - 3.3 ft tall
1 ft wide

Dormancy

Evergreen

Flower Color

Pink, White, Lavender

Flowering Season

Winter, Spring, Summer

Wildlife Supported

Butterflies & moths hosted ( 3 likely * ) SHOW ALL

White-lined Sphinx Hyles lineataHyles lineata

Buckwheat Borer Moth Synanthedon polygoniSynanthedon polygoni

Three-striped Longhorn Adela trigraphaAdela trigrapha

Landscaping Information

Sun

Full Sun, Part Shade

Moisture

Low

Summer Irrigation

Max 1x / month once established

Nurseries

Carried by 3

Cold Tolerance

Tolerates cold to 15° F

Soil Drainage

Fast, Medium

Soil Description

Typically rocky soil, decomposed granite or sandstone. Soil PH: 5.9 - 8.0

Companion Plants

Use with California Copperleaf (Acalypha californica), Chamise (Adenostoma fasciculatum), Manzanita (Arctostaphylos sp.), San Diego Viguiera (Bahiopsis laciniata), Ceanothus sp., Goldenbush (Ericameria sp.), Buckwheat (Eriogonum sp.), Chaparral Yucca (Hesperoyucca whipplei), Pitcher Sage (Lepechinia calycina or fragrans), Lupine (Lupinus sp.), Bush Monkeyflower (Mimulus aurantiacus), Currant/Gooseberry (Ribes sp.), Sage (Salvia sp.), and Woolly Bluecurls (Trichostema lanatum or parishii)

Sunset Zones?

5, 7, 9, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24

Natural Setting

Site Type

Coastal strand, scrub areas, meadows and forest

Climate

Annual Precipitation: 4.8" - 61.3", Summer Precipitation: 0.15" - 2.89", Coldest Month: 19.6" - 59.1", Hottest Month: 40.1" - 87.6", Humidity: 0.47" - 38.46", Elevation: 23" - 12284"

Alternative Names

Botanical Names: Leptodactylon californicum,Leptodactylon californicum ssp. californicum,Leptodactylon californicum ssp. leptotrichomum,Leptodactylon californicum ssp. tomentosum

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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

California Prickly Phlox

Linanthus californicus

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California Prickly PhloxLinanthus californicus

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California Prickly Phlox

Linanthus californicus