Malacothamnus fasciculatus - Chaparral Bush Mallow

Malacothamnus fasciculatus brightens up the roadside landscape from late Spring through much of the Summer and into Fall. The Chaparral Bush Mallow, grows well in disturbed areas and adapts well to dry gardens. Malacothamnus fasciculatus selections may also be found with the common names Island Bush Mallow or Mendocino Bush Mallow. This photo was taken near Lake Casitas and matches nicely with the Casitas selection on the market. The pink flowers of Malacothamnus fasciculatus are a great late Spring through Summer nectar source for hummingbirds and butterflies including the Painted Lady, Northern White Skipper, Cloudless Sulfur, White Checkered Skipper, and the Western Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly, and seed source for birds. The gray-green foliage of the Chaparral Bush Mallow is attractive in its own right. Malacothamnus fasciculatus is native from Baja to the Northern California Coast. It can be found in the Southern California deserts as well as the Channel Islands. Malacothamnus fasciculatus is tolerant of a wide variety of soil types. The Chaparral Bush Mallow grow best in full sun but will tolerate quite a lot of shade. Malacothamnus fasciculatus grows 5-8 feet tall and wide with the fragrant flowers weighing down the arching branches. Malacothamnus fasciculatus is Winter hardy into the low to mid teens.

Other plant pagess from the genus Malacothamnus featured on this site:
Malacothamnus clementinus * San Clemente Bush Mallow
Malacothamnus davidsonii * Davidson's Bush Mallow
Malacothamnus densiflorus * Yellow Stem Bush Mallow