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California Figwort

California Figwort

SCROPHULARIA californica

Blooms Spring through Summer
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Ships as 4"
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Common Name(s)
California Figwort, Bee Plant
Sunlight
Full Sun (6+ hrs) or Partial Sun / Shade (3-6 hrs)
Perennial Zones
7, 8, 9, 10
Watering
Let dry
Max Height
4'–6'
Max Spread
18"-24"
Special Features
California Native
Bloom Season
Spring, Summer
Lifespan
Perennial
Growing Habit
Clumping
Drought Resistance
Moderate drought resistance
Bloom Color
Red
Foliage Color
Green
Stem Color
Green, Purple/Black
Themes
Fire
Genus
Scrophularia
Family
Scrophulariaceae
Ship Size
4"

California Figwort sends tall stems of small deep red-brown flowers up out of a clump of toothed green leaves — a live 4-inch plant of Scrophularia californica, the California native better known as bee plant.

Plant it where you want height and traffic. The flowers are tiny and dark, so the real show is the insects: bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds work the stems from winter into summer, and the plain green foliage keeps that unusual color legible. At four to six feet it brings structure to a natural planting, a pollinator border, or a lightly shaded corner where a looser shape is welcome. Full sun to partial shade, even moisture, and real drainage are the whole ask.

Fun fact: it feeds more than the adults. California figwort is a documented larval host for the variable checkerspot butterfly, so caterpillars graze the leaves while their parents work the flowers overhead.

  • Sunlight: Full Sun (6+ hrs) or Partial Sun / Shade (3-6 hrs)
  • Water: Keep moist
  • Mature Size: 4'–6' tall × 18"-24" wide
  • Bloom Season: Winter, Spring, Summer
  • Fruiting Season: Spring, Summer
  • Lifespan: Perennial
  • Hardiness Zones: 6–10
  • Attracts: Bees & butterflies

Cut it back hard after flowering; like everything we ship, it arrives healthy or we replace it free.