California Prickly Phlox
Monday, January 1, 2001
Copyright © 2001 Gary Valle'. All Rights Reserved.

One of the first flowers to greet me on excursions in the foothills of Southern California following the Winter Solstice and near the beginning of the New Year is California Prickly Phlox, Leptodactylon californicum Hook. & Arn.

This showy plant is native to California and can be found at lower elevations throughout much of Southern California. According to a reference in CalFlora, it is found only in this state. In the Simi Hills it seems to like rocky, southwest facing slopes and appears to relish the afternoon sun. The flowers have a subtle, musty-sweet fragrance that is especially pleasant when encountered in the evening, near the end of a long run.

California Prickly Phlox is well adapted to our variable, and often dry, climate and can be purchased at nurseries specializing in California native plants. For more information see Growing Native Plants and Botanic Garden & Nursery Links on the California Native Plant Society web site.