Description

California’s checkerblooms are found throughout the state, including the deserts and channel islands. The fleshy roots that store energy during dormancy allow the plant to thrive in a wide range of settings. The Oregon checkerbloom is one of several species that prefer a moist setting. This member of the mallow family ranges from the northern coastal mountains, throughout the Cascades and Sierra Nevada. Like all checkerblooms, it emerges from dormancy in later winter with a mound of lobed round leaves, usually shiny and dark green. In spring, one or more upright flower spikes rise above the foliage, covered with pink blooms. A garden bed filled with these ornate spikes is quite a sight, and is popular with a wide range of pollinators. As the year advances, seeds are produced and the plant will go dormant (no above ground foliage).