Chorizanthe staticoides
A low, prickly annual native to California, with woolly basal leaves, no petals, pink to red 3–4 mm flowers in a whorl of needlelike bracts, and dense flat-topped inflorescences on exposed dry coastal outcrops and beach bluffs.
Common Names
Turkish Rugging
Summary
Turkish rugging is an annual herb native to California that ranges from ground-hugging patches to erect growth up to about 0.5 m tall. It features basal oblong leaves on hairy, reddish stems that fork toward the top into flat-topped, densely packed inflorescences; each tiny flower is pink to red with nine stamens and sits within a 3–4(5) mm involucre formed by a 3-angled, 6-ribbed structure with bracts colored red, purple, or green. This species grows in coastal sage scrub and chaparral, including exposed sandstone outcrops, and flowers from April to July.
In cultivation it requires full sun and extremely low to very low water, thriving in well-drained sandy or gravelly soils and at elevations roughly 300–1700 m. It can regenerate after fire by stump sprout or seed and is suitable for drought-tolerant native plantings, habitat gardens, and landscape uses that mimic chaparral or coastal scrub. It provides caterpillar habitat and may serve as a host plant for moths and butterflies such as the White-lined Sphinx and Hyles lineata.
Lifecycle
Annual
Height
2-24 inches
Spread
0-1 feet
Sunlight Requirements
Ideally full sun.
Soil Type
Dry, sandy, gravelly or rocky soil
Soil Drainage
Well-drained
Bloom Color
Pink to red
Bloom Time
Spring and Summer
Foliage Color
Green to gray or reddish
Leaf Lifecycle
Deciduous
Growth Rate
Annual
Seasons of Interest
Spring and Summer
Propagation Methods
Seeds
Attracts Wildlife
Attracts butterflies
Taxonomy
- Taxonomic Rank
- Species
- Author
- Benth.
- Publication
- Trans. Linn. Soc. London 17: 418 (1836)
Superior Taxa
- Kingdom
- Plantae
- Subkingdom
- Pteridobiotina
- Phylum
- Angiosperms
- Order
- Caryophyllales
- Family
- Polygonaceae
- Genus
- Chorizanthe
Synonyms
Chorizanthe chrysacantha Chorizanthe discolor Chorizanthe nudicaulis Chorizanthe staticoides var. brevispina Chorizanthe staticoides subsp. chrysacantha Chorizanthe staticoides var. compacta Chorizanthe staticoides var. elata Chorizanthe staticoides var. latiloba Chorizanthe staticoides var. nudicaulis Chorizanthe staticoides var. staticoides Chorizanthe staticoides subsp. staticoides Chorizanthe chrysacantha var. compacta Chorizanthe staticoides f. bracteata