Otay Mtn. Lotus, Hosackia crassifolia var. otayensis

About Otay Mtn. Lotus (Hosackia crassifolia var. otayensis) 12 Nurseries Carry This Plant

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Otay Mtn. Lotus is a rare native perennial herb in the Fabaceae (Legume) family. It is one of two recognized varieties of Hosackia crassifolia found in California, and it is a rare plant on CNPS list 1B.1. It is found primarily in the Otay Mountain area of San Diego County and adjacent Baja, although there is also a disjunct population reported in San Luis Obispo County. The more common var. crassifolia also occurs in the same area of San Diego. Otay Mountain Lotus tends to grow in chaparral or disturbed areas at elevations from 1,000 to 4,000 feet. This plant is rarely used in gardens, a little information is available on its cultural tolerances and requirements.

Plant Description

Plant Type

Perennial herb

Size

2 - 5 ft tall
2 ft wide

Flower Color

Cream, Purple

Flowering Season

Spring, Summer

Wildlife Supported

Many insects and birds are attracted to plants in the Fabaceae family for their flowers and fruit/seeds
Bee gardens

Butterflies & moths hosted ( 23 likely * ) SHOW ALL

Acmon Blue Icaricia acmonIcaricia acmon

Orange Sulphur Colias eurythemeColias eurytheme

Silvery Blue Glaucopsyche lygdamusGlaucopsyche lygdamus

Silver-Spotted Skipper Epargyreus clarusEpargyreus clarus

Greenish Blue Icaricia saepiolusIcaricia saepiolus

Persius Duskywing Erynnis persiusErynnis persius

Marine Blue Leptotes marinaLeptotes marina

Landscaping Information

Sun

Full Sun, Part Shade

Moisture

Very Low

Nurseries

Carried by 12

Ease of Care

Moderately Easy

Cold Tolerance

Tolerates cold to 0° F

Soil Drainage

Fast, Medium, Slow

Soil Description

Adaptable

Common uses

Bee Gardens

Companion Plants

In the wild it is found with numerous chaparral plants of southern California, including Chamise (Adenostema fasciculatum), Manzanita (Arctostaphylos sp.), Viguiera (Bahiopsis laciniata), Golden-spined Cereus (Bergerocactus emoryi), Ceanothus sp., Mountain Mahogany (Cercocarpus sp.), Cholla Cactus (Cylindropuntia sp.), Bush Poppy (Dendromecon rigida), Buckwheat (Eriogonum sp.), Mexican Flannelbush (Fremontodendron mexicanum), Tecate Cypress (Hesperocyparis forbesii), Sages (Salvia sp.), Bluecurls (Trichostema lanatum and parishii), and many others. Many other companion plants in the Otay Mountain region are rare species.

Natural Setting

Site Type

Found the arid foothills of southern California and northern Baja as part of chaparral or in disturbed areas

Climate

Annual Precipitation: 14.0" - 33.0", Summer Precipitation: 0.35" - 0.76", Coldest Month: 45.4" - 51.0", Hottest Month: 70.4" - 77.4", Humidity: 1.66" - 22.46", Elevation: 1000" - 3511"

Alternative Names

Botanical Names: Lotus crassifolius var. otayensis

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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

Otay Mtn. Lotus

Hosackia crassifolia var. otayensis

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Otay Mtn. LotusHosackia crassifolia var. otayensis

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Otay Mtn. Lotus

Hosackia crassifolia var. otayensis