Occasional observations on the wildflowers of 91011.
Now here’s a flower you probably weren’t expecting, with a name that you’d also be unlikely to expect: California Bee Plant (Scrophularia californica). Bee Plant, also known as Figwort, is represented by six species in California, but only S. californica is at all common, and it’s the only native Scrophularia species you’ll find in Los Angeles County.
It is, truly, unexpected. Compared with its flowers, its leaves are disproportionately large, distinctively triangular and with toothed edges. (It’s easiest to locate this plant by looking for these leaves.) The overall plant can be surprisingly tall, reaching 48″ in height, yet the blossoms are remarkably small — each flower looks like a pocket protector, with the capacity to hold a single garden pea at most.
Or, more likely, it can hold a single bee, or a small wasp — the main pollinators for this flower. Of course, if a bee were inside this richly-hued red or maroon blossom, it’d be more like an old-style elevated pulpit for the bee as it towers high above the congregation of shorter flowers below. But the nectar of Bee Plant is also favored by hummingbirds, and the plant itself is a host for Checkerspots and other butterflies.
Where and when to find it. California Bee Plant occurs throughout California in coastal scrub and chaparral, though it likes a touch of dampness in the soil and seems happy with just a bit of shade. Statewide, as well as locally, it blooms from February into May. It may be extending its reach in Cherry Canyon, where it has been seen along the Cerro Negro Trail, the Descanso Fire Road, and the Conservancy Trail. It also occurs on Mt. Lukens.
- For more about California Bee Plant, visit Wikipedia.
- For information about growing Scrophularia californica in your yard, visit Calscape.org.
- For distribution maps, taxonomy, and more photos, visit Calflora.org.
- You can also read other wildflower notes, or check out the LCF wildflower directory.
