Data provided by the participants of the Consortium of California Herbaria

View additional distribution information on the Jepson eflora

Epilobium obcordatum is a species of willowherb known by the common name Rockfringe Willowherb. It is native to the western United States from California to Idaho, where it is found in rocky mountainous areas. This small perennial is clumpy to mat-forming and spreads from a woody caudex, especially in nooks between rocks. It has stems lined with oval or rounded leaves which spread parallel to the ground or ascend somewhat. At the tips of the thin stems are flowers each with four petals. The petals are magenta to purple, rounded and notched, often in a perfect heart shape, and are one or two centimeters long. The hairy, club-like, ridged fruit is a capsule two to four centimeters long growing on a short stalk.

Plant type

Perennial herb

Size

6 in Tall

Calscape icon
Color

Purple

Special uses

Containers

Sun

Partial Shade

Sunset Zones

1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 14, 15, 16, 17

Site type

Rocky places

Plant communities

Alpine Fell-Fields, Subalpine Forest

Hummingbirds
Birds
Caterpillars
Butterflies

Butterflies and moths supported

0 confirmed and 9 likely

Confirmed Likely

Fireweed Clearwing

Albuna pyramidalis

Langston's Forester

Alypia langtoni

Black-Banded Carpet

Antepirrhoe semiatrata

Satyr Pug

Eupithecia satyrata