Parry's False Prairie-Clover
Marina parryi
Family: Fabaceae
Small deciduous forbs, growing up to 2’ or slightly higher and wide. Purple legume flowers appear in warm weather. In California they bloom in winter, and with our warmer winters (due to climate change) we often see these blooming in winter here too.
Full to part sun, moderate to low water when established. Provide good drainage. Hardiness unknown but native up to 4,000’ so hardy enough for Tucson and Phoenix and the lower desert valleys. Photo by Morgan Stickrod, iNaturalist
Marina parryi on SEINET
Nectar rich flowers used by many pollinators. Larval host for the following butterfly species:
Southern Dogface (Zerene cesonia)
Ceraunus Blue (Hemiargus ceraunus ssp. gyas)
There are 41 species of Marina native to southern North America, ranging from California and New Mexico through Mexico and Central America to Costa Rica. The genus Marina is named after the name of the daughter of a noble Aztec family (c.1500-1530)., while the species name, parryi, is named for Dr. Charles Christopher Parry (1823-1890), an English-born American botanist and collector.
Found on rocky slopes and in washes below 4,000’ across the Sonoran and Mojave deserts south into southern Sonoran and Baja California.
Marina parryi is typically a low growing plant, photo by Max Licher, SEINET
Floral detail of Marina parryi, photo by Sophia Winitsky, iNaturalist
San Pedro False Prairie-Clover (Marina calycosa) is a less wide spread, related plant. The flowers are a little more showy. This plant is not in cultivation yet. Photo by Sue Carnahan, iNaturalist