Skunkbush | Navarretia squarrosa

seasonally moist areas, primarily at lower elevations. It grows best in full sun and tolerates sandy, loamy, or clay soils that are moist during the growing season and become dry in summer. The erect or spreading plant has finely divided, spine-tipped leaves covered with glandular hairs. Dense, pincushion-like flower heads appear at the ends of the stems, producing small tubular flowers ranging from pale lavender to deep blue. The foliage has a distinctive pungent, skunk-like fragrance when touched or crushed. Its flowers attract native bees, flies, and other beneficial insects. Direct sow in California during fall or early winter so seasonal rainfall can initiate germination. No pretreatment is ordinarily required. Surface-sow the small seeds or cover them with no more than 1/8 inch of soil. Keep the seedbed consistently moist until germination and allow the soil to become progressively drier as the plants mature. Plants may reseed naturally when the dried flower heads are left in place. Height: 4–16 inches. Optimum Soil Temperature for Germination: 55°F–70°F Blooming Period: May–September Germination: 4–21 days Sowing Depth: Surface to 1/8 inch Packet contains 450+ organically grown seeds, untreated, non-GMO.