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Few-rayed Bushmallow
Malacothamnus densiflorus
  
About Few-rayed Bushmallow (Malacothamnus densiflorus) 5 Nurseries Carry This Plant Malacothamnus densiflorus is a species of flowering plant in the mallow family known by the common name few-rayed bushmallow. It is native to the Peninsular Ranges of southern California and northern Baja California, where it is a member of the chaparral plant community. This is a shrub with a slender, multibranched stem approaching two meters in maximum height. It is coated in thin to dense yellowish or tan hairs. The thick to leathery leaves are oval in shape, a few centimeters long, and sometimes divided into lobes. The flower cluster is a spikelike cluster of many pale pink flowers with oval or somewhat triangular petals each up to a centimeter long. Flowers appears in abundance in the spring and early summer.



The plant is tough and easy to grow, and extremely drought tolerant. It can handle most soil types as long as they are well draining. In nature it seems to grow best on dry gentle slopes. Avoid summer significant amounts of direct summer water, though it can tolerate a light sprinkling once a month. Does well in full sun or part shade.
Plant Description
Plant Type
Plant Type
Shrub

Size
Size
3 - 7 ft tall
3 - 7 ft wide

Form
Form
Mounding, Rounded, Spreading

Growth Rate
Growth Rate
Fast

Dormancy
Dormancy
Evergreen, Summer Semi-Deciduous

Fragrance
Fragrance
Slight

Flower Color
Flower Color
Pink

Flowering Season
Flowering Season
Spring, Summer

Wildlife Supported
 
Butterflies, bees, many bird species, deer

 
Butterflies & moths hosted ( 4 likely * ) SHOW ALL
*
Bucculatrix quadrigemina Image
Bucculatrix quadrigeminaBucculatrix quadrigemina
*
Chionodes popa Image
Chionodes popaChionodes popa

Landscaping Information
Sun
Sun
Full Sun

Moisture
Moisture
Very Low, Low

Summer Irrigation
Summer Irrigation
Max 1x / month once established

Nurseries
Nurseries

Cold Tolerance
Cold Tolerance
Tolerates cold to 10 - 20° F

Soil Drainage
Soil Drainage
Fast, Medium

Soil Description
Soil Description
Well draining. Soil PH: 6 - 8

Common uses
Common uses
Hedges, Hummingbird Gardens, Bird Gardens, Butterfly Gardens

Maintenance
Maintenance
Deer love this plant

Natural Setting
Site Type
Site Type
Gentle slopes

Climate
Climate
Annual Precipitation: 9.5" - 39.8", Summer Precipitation: 0.19" - 2.83", Coldest Month: 33.6" - 54.7", Hottest Month: 62.5" - 80.8", Humidity: 1.13" - 29.91", Elevation: 26" - 6782"

Alternative Names
Common Names: Many-flowered Bushmallow


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


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