Carried by 5 nurseries
View Availability at NurseryData provided by the participants of the Consortium of California Herbaria
View additional distribution information on the Jepson eflora
Leptosyne maritima (Sea Dahlia or Beach Coreopsis) is a rare plant species in the Asteraceae (Sunflower) family. It was formerly included in the genus Coreopsis and some sources still refer to it by that name. This species is a perennial that grows 10-40 centimeters tall but sometimes to 80 centimeters (4 to 32 inches), from a fleshy taproot. The stems are hollow, fragile and often floppy. Plants bloom in late winter to early summer, with normally one or two flower heads per stem, on 15 to 30 centimeters long peduncles, but sometimes 4 or more flowers can be found per stem. It has foliage that is lobed and mostly linear in shape with lobes that are 5-30 millimeters long and 1-2 millimeters wide. The 12-20 millimeter long flower phyllaries number 12-13, sometimes more, and they are lance-shaped. Flower heads typically have 16-21 ray florets, and the laminae are 20-35+ millimeters long. The disc corollas are 5.5-7 millimeters long. Fruits are 6-7 millimeters long and oblong-rectangular in shape. Leptosyne maritima is native to a very small area of southern California and Baja California, where it typically grows on ocean bluffs and dunes at elevations under 100 ft.
Annual herb, Succulent
4 - 31 in Tall
3 ft Wide
Moderate
Summer Semi-deciduous
None
Yellow
Spring
Full Sun
Very Low, Low, Moderate
Moderate
Tolerates cold to 35° F
Fast, Medium
Prefers sand or sandstone.
Soil PH: 6.0 - 7.0
Seabluffs and dunes of the south coast as part of coastal strand and coastal sage scrub
Coastal Sage Scrub
Butterflies and moths supported
0 confirmed and 2 likely
Orange Tortrix Moth
Argyrotaenia franciscana
Wavy-Lined Emerald
Synchlora aerata