Hoarty Myrtlecroton
Bernardia incana
Family: Euphorbiaceae
Small shrub not often reaching much over a foot in our region but sometimes taller. Semi-evergreen, the flowers are very tiny but nectar rich, like most plants in the Euphorbiaceae. This is an odd little plant that is common in the rocky foothills of our region but seldom grown.
Full sun, low water with good drainage, probably hardy into the mid 20s °F.
The plant is most certainly a larval host for moths/butterflies that use Euphorbs. The flowers are nectar rich.
The genus name of the plant, Bernardia, comes from the French taxonomist Bernard de Jussieu (1699–1776). The species, incana, means hoary or very grey. There are 80 species of Bernardia native to North and South America, as well as the West Indies. There are 3 species in the United States.
Protected slopes in desert canyon washes 2300-5200 ft. in California, Arizona; south into Baja California, Sonora, and Chihuahua.
Photo of the capsules by delbosque on iNaturalist
Typical growth form in the open, photo by Don Rideout, iNaturalist