deerweed
Bees go nuts over the bright-yellow flowers of this California native. From spring and into summer you can find this plant covered in blooms at the edges of chaparral throughout much of California. The intricate, pea-shaped flowers, often colored burnished red as they are pollinated, emerge along wand-like stems. Deerweed usually reaches a height and width of about 2 – 3 ft. Plant in full sun to light shade. Needs good drainage and no summer water once established. A remarkable number of butterflies use this species as a larval host plant, including the bramble hairstreak, orange sulphur, funeral duskywing, silvery blue, acmon blue and the avalon hairstreak.