Camissonia campestris

Common Names

Field Primrose, Field Sun Cup, Mojave Sun Cup, Mojave Suncup

Summary

Field primrose, Mojave sun cup, or Mojave suncup is an annual herb in the Onagraceae native to California. It has slender, wiry stems 5–25 cm tall, erected or decumbent; leaves linear to narrowly elliptic; flowers open near sunrise with four petals yellow bearing red spots at the base, 5–15 mm long; a floral tube 1.5–5.5 mm; capsules 20–43 mm long; seeds 0.8–1.6 × 0.4–0.6 mm. Two subspecies differ by stem habit: subsp. campestris with usually erect stems and subsp. obispoensis with usually decumbent stems.

Occurs in open sandy flats and desert scrub in California from sea level to about 2,000 m; blooms March–May after winter rains; pollinated by bees, moths, and butterflies; thrives in open, sunny locations with sandy soils.

Lifecycle

Annual

Height

2-20 inches

Spread

2-10 inches

Soil Type

Sandy soil

Soil Drainage

Well-drained, sandy soils

Bloom Color

Yellow

Bloom Time

Spring

Foliage Color

Green

Fall Foliage Color

Yellow, Orange, Red

Leaf Lifecycle

Deciduous

Growth Rate

Annual

Seasons of Interest

Spring

Propagation Methods

Seeds

Attracts Wildlife

Attracts butterflies, Attracts moths