Cryptantha spp.
Annual Cryptanthas
western North America and western South America
Overview
Cryptantha spp. is a genus of more than 100 species of annual and perennial herbs in the borage family (Boraginaceae), native to the arid and semi-arid regions of western North America and western South America. Most are small, erect plants 4 to 16 inches (10 to 40 cm) tall and 2 to 8 inches (5 to 20 cm) wide, with narrow gray-green leaves and stems densely covered in stiff, bristly hairs that give the plants a rough, grayish look. The flowers are tiny, 0.1 to 0.3 inch (3 to 8 mm) across, white with a small yellow throat, and clustered in coiled sprays that uncurl as the flowers open, in the manner of other borage relatives. Each flower produces up to four small, hard nutlets, whose shape and surface texture are the main features used to tell the many species apart. Cryptantha spp. flowers in spring and early summer, often appearing in large numbers after wet winters and nearly absent in dry years. Plants grow in open, sandy, and rocky desert, sagebrush, and grassland soils, and most annual species die back as soils dry in summer. The genus is rarely cultivated and is difficult to grow outside its native arid conditions.
Native Range
Cryptantha spp. is restricted to the Western Hemisphere, with most species in the deserts, sagebrush steppe, and dry mountains of the western United States and Mexico, and a second center of diversity in arid western South America, including Chile and Argentina.Suggested Uses
Cryptantha spp. is used mainly in native and restoration plantings in desert, sagebrush, and dryland gardens within its native range. It contributes early-season nectar in arid wildflower displays. The genus is not suited to borders, containers, or irrigated gardens.How to Identify
Appearance
Size & Dimensions
Height4" - 1'4"
Width/Spread2" - 8"
Colors
Bloom Information
Detailed Descriptions
Flower Description
white with a yellow throatFoliage Description
gray-green, covered in stiff hairsGrowing Conditions
Sun Requirements
Requires 6-12 hours of direct sunlight daily
• Full Sun: 6+ hours of direct sunlight
• Partial Shade: 3-6 hours of direct sunlight
• Full Shade: Less than 3 hours of direct sunlight
Water & Climate
Water Needs
Drought Tolerance
Drought tolerant when established