Common name(s): Prickly Phlox

Family: Polemoniaceae - Phlox Family

Species: Leptodactylon californicum

Commonly found: Stabilized dunes

Size: 1-3ft tall, 1ft wide

Origin: Native

Description: Prickly Phlox is a native sub-shrub that grows along the coast and in the Coast Ranges, Transverse Range, and Peninsular Ranges from San Luis Obispo County to Orange and Riverside Counties. It is a widely branched shrub with small pink or lavender flowers that can appear for 6 months of the year. New leaves are bundled and sharp-tipped, hence the name, while old leaves are lobed, each lobe with a point.