purple owl's clover
Castilleja exserta
USDA zones4 to 11
SunNeeds full sun (6+ hours)
WaterNeeds dry soil
Size12 to 24 inches tall12 inches wide
- Habit
- Herb
- Bloom season
- Spring, summer
- Bloom color
- White , pink , yellow , green , purple
- Soil types
- Sand
- Soil pH
- Acid, alkaline, neutral
Garden uses
Attracts
Notes
Purple owl's clover (Castilleja exserta) is an annual for low maintenance gardens and ground cover. Give it full sun and dry, sandy soil. It grows 12 to 24 inches tall and spreads about 12 inches. Velvety rose-purple bracts surround the flower clusters in spring, and butterflies and bees visit them. After a wet spring, it can carpet whole fields with color. It is also drought tolerant.
Pairs well with California poppy, Baby blue eyes, Sky lupine, and California goldfields.
Native range
AZ, CA, MA, and NM.