Data provided by the participants of the Consortium of California Herbaria

View additional distribution information on the Jepson eflora

Malacothamnus lucanus is a species of flowering plant in the Malvaceae (Mallow) family known by the common names Santa Lucia bushmallow and Arroyo Seco bushmallow. It is endemic to California, where it grows in the chaparral and woodland of the Central Coast and adjacent Coast Ranges of Monterey County.

Plant type

Shrub

Size

4 - 8 ft Tall
5 ft Wide

Dormancy

Evergreen

Calscape icon
Color

Pink, White, Brown

Flowering season

Spring, Summer

Special uses

Hedge

Sun

Full Sun

Water

Low

Summer irrigation

Max 2x / month once established

Ease of care

Moderate

Cold tolerance

Tolerates cold to 15° F

Soil drainage

Medium

Soil description

Prefers heavy soils but tolerates a variety of garden soils.

Maintenance

Prune to shape in late fall or to remove undesired sucker growth

Sunset Zones

7, 8, 9, 14*, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19*, 20*, 21*, 22*, 23*, 24

Site type

Slopes and valleys of the central coast

Plant communities

Chaparral, Foothill Woodland

Use with other chaparral plants of the central coast such as Manzanita (Arctostaphylos spp.), Ceanothus species, Silk Tassel Bush (Garrya elliptica), Toyon (Heteromeles arbutifolia), Scrub Oak (Quercus berberidifolia), Coffee Berry (Frangula spp.), Hummingbird Sage (Salvia spathacea), Yerba Buena (Clinopodium douglasii), and Bluff Lettuce (Dudleya farinosa)

Caterpillars
Butterflies

Butterflies and moths supported

0 confirmed and 3 likely

Confirmed Likely

Bucculatrix quadrigemina

Northern White-Skipper

Heliopetes ericetorum

West Coast Lady

Vanessa annabella